Rule of Augustus

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Augustus was a very clever politician and held several different offices at the same time. But even though he held these offices, he did not want to become emperor because he knew that most of the Romans wouldn't accept a one-man rule unless it was a republic.

A statue of
Augustus

Augustus kept the government officials from the republic, was sure to make the senators feel honored, and talked about the need to bring back the "old Roman virtues."

While he was doing this, Augustus strengthened his authority by having every soldier give allegiance to him. This gave him more control over the armies. He also built up his household to take over the daily business in the government. Augustus chose people based on their talent instead of birth. This gave slaves a chance in the government.

Augustus made boundaries that were easy to defend. The boundaries were on the Rhine and Danube rivers, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Sahara desert. Augustus also put soldiers all along these boundaries to protect them.

Augustus didn't bother getting new territory. Instead, he worked on governing the empire that he already had. He gave the provincial governors longer terms in office so they could get experience in their job. Augustus also gave them big salaries so they wouldn't overtax the people. Also, to make sure that the taxes weren't to much or too little, Augustus had a census take every once in a while.

He wrote strict laws that governed how people acted in public. He also made a fire brigade and police force to protect the city, and promoted learning by making the first library in Rome.

During the 41 years Augustus ruled, he brought peace to Rome. This peace was called the Pax Romana and lasted for over 200 years. He also let people in the provinces get citizenship and, lastly, gave Romans a new sense of pride and patriotism.

Trade during the Pax Romana

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When the peace came, there was more trade. Everyone in the empire used the same coins. There were no tariffs, as well, so goods moved freely on the trade routes. Pirates were taken out of the Mediterranean and shipping became big business since there was less danger. Grain went from North Africa to Italy. Ships going to Rome were loaded with brick, granite, marble, and wood for building. Amber and silk came overland on Roman roads from the north and China.

Romans got more business because if the increased trade. Wine and olive oil were the main items brought from other countries. Italy also became the center for making pottery, bronze, and woolen cloth.

Law during the Pax Romana

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The law also went through big changes. Since the times had changed, the laws on the Twelve Tables changed. Roman merchants had to do business with people from newly conquered territories, Roman judges had to make laws that would be fair to the non-Romans. The judges were helped by special lawyers and legal writers who were called juris prudentes.

Eventually, the judges and their helpers made principles of law that were fair to everyone. A law was just just because it was reasonable, not because the government could make people obey it. In the law, everyone was equal and was innocent until proven guilty.

The law was standardized at around 125 AD. This was part of what let Rome govern such a huge area. Later, these legal principles became the base for the laws in most western countries and the Christian church.

Daily Life

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The empire in
117 AD

At the beginning of the empire there were only about 1 million people in Rome. Rome had the same problems that todays cities have such as too little housing, pollution, crime, and it was very expensive to get a place to live. Most Romans couldn't find jobs either but had to pay a lot of taxes.

A rich Roman lived in a domus with marble walls, colored stone floors, and glass windows. There was a furnace and pipes that brought water upstairs.

Most Romans weren't rich, though, so they lived in apartments called islands that were at least 6 stories tall if not taller. An island covered one block and at one time, there were 26 blocks of islands for every domus in Rome. The ground floor of the island was mostly filled with shops which opened to the street with stone, arched doorways.

The rent was very high, as well, but the rent became cheaper the higher up you were.

Family

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Family was most important in Rome. The father was in charge of the household and whatever he said was law in the house. He arranged his kid's marriages to improve social position or wealth. Cousins were also expected to help politically.

Most Roman boys and girls went to school together until they were 12. Then rich boys began formal schooling and poor boys went to work. Rich boys studied reading, grammar, writing, music, geometry, commercial arithmetic, and shorthand. When they turned 15, they went to a school of rhetoric to get ready for a career in politics. Some of them went to Athens or Alexandria for philosophy or medicine, as well.

Girls got different schooling. At age 12, formal schooling stopped and the rich were given private lessons at home instead of school. Because of this, Roman women were usually as informed if not better informed than Roman men. Some women worked in small shops. Rich women had slaves to do all of their housework. This let them study arts, literature, and fashions or ride chariots for a day's pigsticking.

At Leisure

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At home, Romans usually gambled with dice. They also met friends at public bathhouses where they could take hot, cold, or steam baths. In some, they could also go to gyms, sports stadiums, and libraries. Or they could listen to lectures, see musicals, exercise, or just talk together.

Circus Maximus

Because the Romans didn't have team sports to watch, they usually went to see free public games which usually went from dawn to dusk. In the republic, the games were usually set by a politician who wanted votes. In the empire, the games were set by the government. The games included circuses, chariot race, gladiatorial fights. The most exciting chariot races were held at the Circus Maximus which held up to 200,000 people.

People who fought animals or each other were called gladiators. They were usually slaves, criminals, or poor people. They were trained by a manager who hired them. Some upper-class people were gladiators, as well.

The gladiators always showed up at a feast the night before the fight where fans and gamblers could look them over and bet on who would win. When the gladiators entered the arena on the day of the fights, they walked by the emperor in his box and said, "Hail Emperor, those who are about to die salute you."

A lot of gladiators did die. If a gladiator's fighting pleased the crowd, became an idol to the people. A few gladiators got their freedom but those who did a bad job died even if they survived.

A lot of different animals were in the games. Although some pulled chariots or did tricks, the majority of them were used in gladiatorial fights. Somedays, about 5,000 animals were killed in a day. Some animals like the Mesopotamian lion and the North African elephant were completely wiped out because of the fights.

Fall of Rome

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To read about the Fall of Rome, click here.