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Rome Geography for Ancient World History -Activities and Lessons for Students By Instructomania

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A day in the life of a Roman soldier - Robert Garland

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Punic Wars, Cynoscephalae War, Servile War, Caesar's Civil War

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Kids learn about the wars and battles of Ancient Rome. How the Roman army conquered much of Europe and fought the Punic Wars as well as other great battles.

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An Introduction to the Etruscans and Etruscan Civilization

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From statues and coins to intricate engravings and more, take a closer look at the culture of ancient Rome through eight objects in the Museum's collection.

Despite its humble beginnings in 8th century BC as a series of small villages on the Seven Hills of Rome, by AD 100, the Roman Empire comprised up to 100 million people spread across 50 different modern-day countries.

Yet, following a series of crises from the later 2nd century AD, ancient Rome's decline began. The western empire fragmented rapidly before the final emperor was deposed in AD 476. However, the Eastern Roman Empire - later known as the Byzantine Empire - continued to thrive with its capital at Constantinople, surviving until AD 1453.

While this story of ancient Rome is well told, our intrigue and curiosity in it never fades - and by looking closely at the objects with us today there are always further insights to be found. Below are eight objects from the British Museum's Roman collection exploring this enduring culture.

The birth of Rome

According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus, son of the Roman god of war, Mars. The myth states a threatened local King ordered Romulus, and his twin brother Remus, to be abandoned on the bank of the river Tiber. Although infants, the pair survived on the site that would become Rome, thanks to the kindness from locals, the god Tiberinus and most famously, care from a she-wolf who provided shelter and milk for the youngsters.

Romans strongly identified with this myth and the 'Wolf and Twins' became a powerful symbol throughout the Empire. Seen here, this bronze figurine (figure 1) shows the wolf suckling Romulus and Remus. It's believed this ornament was created in Italy around 100 BC to AD 100 over 700 years after the birth of the myth, highlighting the power this myth continued to hold centuries later. At just over 6cm in width, it's possible that this small statuette sat in a household shrine, or lararium.

In reality, around the same time - the 8th century BC - a collection of hilltop hamlets steadily grew into an important town because of its strategic location on the river Tiber, an important trade route. The early material culture of Rome and surrounding cities was heavily influenced by the culture of neighbouring people including the Etruscans, who in turn took much inspiration from the Greeks, with whom they traded extensively. Alongside the objects, stories, myths and religious ideas were exchanged and adopted, and so the same heroes and gods occur among the three different civilisations.

In 616 BC, Tarquinius Priscus became the first of three Etruscan Kings of Rome. The scattered villages of Rome now developed into one city, with stone buildings replacing wooden huts. It was under the Etruscan kings that a marshy central area at the foot of the Palatine was properly drained and became the heart of the city, known as the Roman Forum.

Founding the Republic

Etruscan rule of Rome ended in 510 BC, to be replaced by the Roman Republic. Now, Roman magistrates and officials, such as the two consuls, were elected from wealthy Roman families by assemblies of Roman citizens. One of the earliest examples of representative democracy, the magistrates would make decisions for Rome on behalf of its people. Core to the new government was the Senate with 300 or more senators who held most of the important government positions in Rome. The senators came from the wealthiest families and were known as patricians, as opposed to the bulk of the Roman citizens who were less wealthy plebeians.

This ruling elite of senior Roman magistrates held great authority, including having the power to impose corporal and capital punishment on Rome's citizens. The fasces, a bundle of wooden rods and an axe used for beatings and executions, graphically represent the power and authority the Roman state held over its people. The fasces are seen in this bronze statuette (figure 2), which are being carried by a junior official called a lictor on behalf of a magistrate. Shown is the axe (for execution) wrapped within wooden rods (for beating). Today, the word fascism derives from the fasces.

The age of emperors

Another round of civil war saw Octavian (the future Augustus) in the west pitted against Mark Antony and Cleopatra in the east. It was a fight for the soul of the Roman world - either it would become a Greek-style kingdom centred upon Alexandria in Egypt or it would be an empire run from Rome in Italy. The defeat of Antony and Cleopatra by Octavian and his general Agrippa at Actium in 31 BC ensured it would be the latter, and Octavian effectively became the first emperor of Rome in 27 BC, being honoured with the title Augustus.

Statues relating to emperors were erected throughout the Roman provinces to provide recognisable likenesses, publicly reinforcing the character each wished to project. The images underlined their position as head of state and emphasised the peace and prosperity of the empire, the Pax Romana. It was what today we'd call propaganda, but there is no doubt that Augusts brought peace and prosperity to the Roman world.

This bronze head of the emperor Nero (figure 5) is from a life-size equestrian statue believed to have stood in Colchester as a mark of Roman power, before possibly, in an act of defiance, being hacked down and taken as booty during Boudica's sacking in AD 61. The head dates to the years after Nero's accession in AD 54 - the decade after the emperor Claudius had successfully invaded Britain - and may have been made locally, or imported from Gaul. Found in the River Alde at Rendham, Suffolk, in 1907, it was perhaps deposited as an offering on the boundary between Iceni and Trinovantes tribal land. Britain's Iron Age people often made offerings of metal objects in rivers.

The last male descendant of the emperor Augustus, Nero succeeded to the throne in AD 54 aged just 16. His turbulent rule saw momentous events including the Great Fire of Rome, Boudica's rebellion in Britain, the execution of his own mother and first wife, grand projects, extravagant excesses and his suicide at the age of only 30.

Find out more

The British Museum is currently exhibiting Rome: city and empire on international tour at the Suzhou Museum, China (25 September 2021 - 8 October 2022).

Footnotes

[1] Cicero in Against Verres, II.2.2, 1st century BC.

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From statues and coins to intricate engravings, take a closer look at the culture of ancient Rome through eight objects in the collection.

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Achievements Medicine, Theater, Writing, Building, Tech, Cooking

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Achievements Medicine, Theater, Writing, Building, Tech, Cooking

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Acheivements Theater, Writing, Tech, Food, Music, Medicine

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Examine the structure of the Roman Republic, and learn about what its Senate and consuls have in common with modern republics like the United States!

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History of Ancient Rome for Kids: The City of Rome

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Kids learn about the city of Ancient Rome. This famous city was the center of the Roman empire which ruled much of the known world for centuries.

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Kids learn about women during Ancient Rome including women's rights, roles, marriage, occupations, running the home, famous Roman women, and interesting facts.