2. The Pax Romana The two centuries from the reign of Augustus until the death of Marcus Aurelius are known as the Golden Age of Rome, or the Pax Romana (Roman Peace). Market in Pompeii , by Antonio Niccolini Although there were rebellions and wars of conquest in this period, the core of the empire enjoyed peace and prosperity.

7. The Pantheon, one of Rome’s most famous buildings

8. While stands the Coliseum, Rome shall stand; When falls the Coliseum, Rome shall fall; And when Rome falls - the world. - Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage The Colosseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, was the largest amphitheater ever built in the Roman Empire. It held 50,000 spectators.

9. Construction began around 70 under Vespasian and was completed in 80 under Titus. It remained in use for 500 years.

10. The Colosseum was used for gladiator games and other public spectacles, including mock naval battles, for which it could be filled with water piped from the Tiber River.

11. Medieval map of Rome showing the Colosseum

12. Artist’s reconstruction of the Roman Forum in the Golden Age

13. Baths of Caracalla Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1899 Public Bathing in Ancient Rome Public bathing was an important part of Roman social life in the Golden Age.

14. A visit to the baths was a part of daily life for Romans. The baths were a place to relax and meet with friends. Women and men of all classes used the public baths. Sometimes there were separate facilities or hours for women; sometimes men and women bathed together.

15. A trip to the baths would include exercise to work up a sweat, a soak in warm, hot and cool pools, and a cleansing massage with a strigil ( pictured ) which was used to scrape off aromatic oils and accumulated dirt. The Romans did not use soap.

17. Baths of Caracalla The Caracalla baths, the second-largest bath complex in ancient Rome, included two public libraries, one with texts in Greek and the other Latin.

18. Baths of Caracalla, engraving, Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778)

19. Roads and Aqueducts Roman road in Pompeii Photo by Paul Vlaar Long straight roads, 53,000 miles of them, connected all parts of the Roman Empire to regional centers and the imperial capital in Rome.

22. The arcades of the Aqua Claudia with the Anio Novus on top, two of the aqueducts of Rome. (Constructed in 36-50 under Caligula and Claudius) Photo by Wilke Schram www.romanaqueducts.info

23. The Roman waterway system, which brought fresh water to private homes as well as public baths and fountains, was one of the engineering marvels of the ancient world. The Romans also developed indoor plumbing and sewers to carry waste away from homes. Clay pipes (lower right) tapped into Aqua Claudia Photo by Wilke Schram Aqueducts

25. The entire system was gravity-fed. Very subtle gradients maintained the flow of water. Occasionally, a system of pressurized pipe, called an inverted siphon, was used to push the water a short distance uphill. Roman aqueduct, ca. 19 BCE, Pont du Gard, France Similar aqueducts were constructed all over the empire. Some are still in use today.

26. Religion Romans worshipped their classical gods as well as past emperors, deified after death. Emperor worship - the cult of the emperor - became a unifying force in the empire. Temple of Augusta and Livia, Vienne, France. Erected by Claudius.

27. Emperor Marcus Aurelius offers a sacrifice Animals being led to sacrifice

28. Foreign Gods and Cults Mithras Isis Cults from the east became popular in Rome. Mithras came to Rome from Persia, through Greece. Isis, a goddess of Egypt, was also popular in Rome. Many other “mystery cults” were popular in the empire.

32. Titus, military commander in Judaea and later emperor, condemned 2,500 Jews to fight wild beasts in the amphitheater at Caesarea in celebration of his brother Domitan's birthday. Coin issued by Jewish rebels during the Roman-Jewish War

35. Pompeii, a city in southern Italy near Naples, was founded in the 6 th century BCE . It was destroyed on August 24, 79 CE , when Mt. Vesuvius erupted, burying the city under several feet of ash and rock. Pompeii, buried in the explosion, was abandoned and forgotten. Pompeii Computer-generated depiction of the eruption of Vesuvius (by the BBC)

36. Pompeii was rediscovered in 1748. Excavations have exposed a well-preserved Roman city from the Golden Age. Ruins of Pompeii Photos by Robert Curtis Rossetti

39. Rome and the Ancient World Slide 4 Roman Republic Slide 31 Roman Expansion/Punic Wars Slide 46 Roman Society in the Republic Slide 82 The Roman Revolution Slide 126 The Principate Slide 159 Rome in the Golden Age Slide 191 Third Century Crisis Slide 229 The Dominate Slide 244 Late Antiquity Slide 257 Legacy of Rome Slide 282 Table of Contents Below you will find the Table of Contents for the Ancient Rome PowerPoint. If you are connected to the internet, click on the link below to go directly to the Ancient Rome page: Ancient Rome PowerPoint