Kyle+and+Adam''s+Holy+Roman+Project

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=**The Holy Roman Empire**=

In this wiki, you learn about the Holy Roman Empire. Enjoy.

**Location**
The Holy Roman Empire at its peak reached from the borders of modern day Spain to the eastern borders of turkey.



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**Origin**
The earliest evidence of human habitation in the region which included the city of Rome dates from the Bronze Age (c. 1500 BC), but the earliest established settlements began to form in the 8th century. At that time archeology indicates two closely related peoples in the area, the Latins nad Sabines. These agrarian Italic peoples were tribal in origin, with a social hierarchy that dominated Rome’s early form of government.

The date of the founding as a village or series of tribal territories is uncertain, but the traditional and legendary founding of the city dates to 753 BC. Rome’s founding is heavy with myth and stories but its roughly supported through archeological evidence.

=**Trade**=

As well as they designed their road network, travel on land was often difficult and dangerous for the Romans. Progress was slow compared to today’s standards and a person traveling on foot would be lucky to travel 35 miles a day. The more affluent Romans had more choices as to how they could travel. People who could afford to traveled in litters carried by six to eight men or several mules. Small groups of travelers, such as families, rode in raedae (carriages).

The Roman Empire was criss-crossed with trade routes. There were sea routes that covered the Mediterranean and Black Seas and numerous land routes using the roads built by the Romans. Trade and moving the Roman Army around were the two principle reasons for building roads.

The most important port was Ostia as it was the nearest major port to Rome itself. Ostia was situated at the mouth of the River Tiber and was only 15 miles from Rome. Many ships travelled between Ostia and the major North African city of Carthage, a journey that took between three and five days. Ships also arrived from Spain and France at Ostia.

The Romans made trade as easy as possible. There was only one currency used and there were no complicating customs dues. Trade was also encouraged by many years of peace within the Empire. Trade was vital to the success of the Empire.

Trade Goods:
**Asbestos:**



It is a naturally occurring silicate mineral consisting of magnesium, calcium and iron. It is composed of strong fibres, which are either silky in texture with curly fibres or straight with needle like fibres. When it is processed into manufactured products, very small fibres are created.

**Copper**:



Archaeological evidence indicates that copper was used as far back as 10,000 years ago in western Asia.

**Glass:**



While the first use of glass is not exactly known, glass making as an ancient art has been around since the dawn of human civilization. Glass blowing, however, is thought to have developed in the era of Caesar, mid first century BC. Glass in the ancient world was considered a very valuable commodity available only to the extremely wealthy, and in small sizes for cosmetic, not practical purposes. With the invention of glass blowing, glass became generally available for inclusion in various public works and to the general population.

**Lead:**



It was abundantly available, soft and easy to manipulate, resistant to corrosion and durable over extended periods of time.

**Silk:**



Silk is a fibrous substance produced by many insects, but the fibres used for manufacturing purposes are exclusively produced by the mulberry silk-moth of China.

**Wine:**

Of the many contributions the Romans made to the world, both ancient and of those passed on to modern society, perhaps the most lasting was the art of wine (vinum) making.

=Social Systems=

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 * Family Life**

The average Roman family consisted of father, mother, children, married sons, their family, and slaves. If you didn't get married by the age of 15-16, you were punished. The person who decided who his

children marry was the head of the house, the father (PATERFAMILIAS). The family was very important to the Romans. Women were under control of their husbands but controlled how the house was run and were known as (MATERFAMILIAS).


 * Women:**

Rome was very much a male dominated society; so much so that in the Roman Republic a man could legally kill his wife or daughter if they questioned his authority. Women were also kept out of positions of power. They were not allowed to be senators, governors, lawyers, judges or any of the other official positions involved in running Roman Empire. Women were also not allowed to vote in elections


 * Roman Schools: **

 Rome didn't have any public schools. Most children went to private school or studied at home. Their subjects were reading, writing, and arithmetic. In many homes, the slaves taught the children. Before the age of fourteen, they studied Latin and Greek.


 * Religion **

The origins of the Roman pantheon began with the small farming community that made up the ancient village of Rome. The foundations of the mythology included nameless and faceless deities that lent support to the community while inhabiting all objects and living things. Most of the Roman gods and goddesses were a blend of several religious influences. Many of these were introduced via the Greek colonies of southern Italy and others had their roots in the Etruscan or Latin tribes of the region. In some cases the Etruscan or Latin names survived throughout the cultural existence of Rome, but many were adopted so completely that they maintained their names from other cultures. In the east, the Greek names remained the choice of the people and the major gods of the system therefore, were known by both.

The gods of the Roman pantheon began taking on the forms known today during the dynasty of the Etruscan kings in the 6th century BC. These gods, Jupiter (Zeus), Juno (Hera), and Minerva (Athena), were worshiped at the grand temple on the Capitoline Hill. As Rome's power grew and expanded throughout the known world, the Roman Empire came into contact with the cultures and religious beliefs of many cultures. The Romans, happy to absorb and assimilate any culture they encountered thereby reaping the benefits of both its wealth and religious influence, were a mosaic of belief systems. Foreign gods and customs not only played major roles but were also given temples and priesthoods within Rome itself. Christianity came after.  **ROMAN TRADE**  As well as they designed their road network, travel on land was often difficult and dangerous for the Romans. Progress was slow compared to today’s standards and a person traveling on foot would be lucky to travel 35 miles a day. The more affluent Romans had more choices as to how they could travel. People who could afford to traveled in litters carried by six to eight men or several mules. Small groups of travelers, such as families, rode in raedae (carriages). People in a hurry, such as messengers from the emperor, rode in cisii, a light carriage like a chariot. However, travel for anybody by any mode of transportation was not safe, particularly at night. Roadside inns were strategically located in the countryside at about a days’ journey apart. The inns themselves were not safe. Fights broke out. Murders occurred.  Whenever possible, a traveler stayed with a friend of the family or even a friend of a friends’ family. Trade was very important to the Roman Empire. Big cities like Rome had to import large amounts of food from all over the empire. Luxury goods also came from all over Europe, Africa and the Near East. Silk came on camel caravans from China. Ships brought spices, jewels and perfumes from India. Transporting goods on land was expensive and often dangerous, so most commerce was conducted via shipping.

=The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire=

The rise of the Roman Empire was due to its powerful leaders. Augustus and Tiberius were among them.


 * Augustus**

Augustus' ascendancy as the first Roman Emperor in 27 BC, followed by confirmation of his powers in 23 and 19 BC, marked a clear, irrevocable, yet necessary change in Roman political philosophy. No longer were the Imperators, or ruler generals of the former Republic, in position to challenge Republican constitutional ideals. With the institution of the emperor into figure-head status, along with literal supreme power of the entire Roman world, the social and political squabbles of the old system gave way to new challenges.

=Pax Romana =

The Pax Romana, or Roman Peace, is a Latin term referring to the Empire in its glorified prime. From the end of the Republican civil wars, beginning with the accession of Augustus in 27 BC, this era in Roman history lasted until 180 AD and the death of Marcus Aurelius.

=The Principate = As Augustus established a new governing order he effectively created a position as administrative head of state that had previously been occupied by several men. As princeps or 'first among equals' there was no official title of emperor as we know it today, and this distinction was very important in ancient Rome. Theoretically, the establishment of 'Empire' was only a temporary diversion from true Republican rule. =Tiberius = Upon the death of Augustus, Tiberius Claudius Nero stood as the last logical choice in a long line of potential heirs. In 14 AD, at the age of 56, Tiberius ascended to Imperial power as a somewhat uncertain figure. The continuation and success of the newly created Principate rested squarely on the shoulders of a man who seemingly had only a partial interest in his own personal participation. While Augustus was the perfect political tactician with powerful personality yet approachable demeanor, Tiberius was a direct contrast. He was a dark figure, keenly intelligent, sometimes terribly cunning and ruthless, yet pre-disposed to a more Republican ideal than any emperor that followed him.
 * AD 14 - 37 (born 42 BC - died AD 37)**

Many powerful and decisive [|emperors] followed until AD 180.

=Decline of the Roman Empire = With the death of Marcus Aurelius in AD 180, rule of the empire passed to his 20 year old son Lucius Aurelius Commodus. Commodus' reign marks the end of the adoptive period that provided immeasurable political stability since the death of Domitian. Never again would Rome benefit from rulers who had the foresight to understand the stability provided by selective succession and rather allowed personal and dynastic ambitions to play its role in the empire's eventual collapse. Over the course of the next 50 years following Commodus, the empire would have no less than 26 different rulers and usurpers, in comparison to 18 confirmed Princeps over the empire's first 2 centuries. The decline is gradual, but the start of the decline was due to this change in selection of leaders.


 * Legacy**

Latin was one of the main languages of the Roman Empire. Despite the decline of the Western Roman Empire, the Latin language continued to flourish in the very different social and economic environment of the Middle Ages, not in the least because it became the official language of the Roman Catholic Church

Metallurgy and glass work (including the first widespread use of glass windows) and a wealth of architectural innovations including high rise buildings, dome construction, bridgeworks and floor construction (seen in the functionality of the Colosseum’s arena and the underlying rooms/areas beneath it) are other examples of Roman innovation and genius.

Military inventiveness was widespread and ranged from tactical/strategic innovations, new methodologies in training, discipline and field medicine as well as inventions in all aspects of weaponry, from armor and shielding to siege engines and missile technology.

This combination of new methodologies, technical innovation, and creative invention in the military gave Rome the edge against its adversaries for half a millennium, and with it, the ability to create an empire that even today, more than 2000 years later, continues to leave its legacy in many areas of modern life. .

=Bibliography=

 1600. "Holy Roman Empire." //History Learning Site//. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. .

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">"Founding of Rome." //UNRV History - Roman Empire//. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. <http://www.unrv.com/empire/founding.php>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">"Holy Roman Empire." //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Web Gallery of Art, image collection, virtual museum, searchable database of European fine arts (1000-1850) //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. <http://www.wga.hu/tours/gothic/history/holy_rom.html>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">of, Imperial patent. The vast majority of the lower ranks never enjoyed any kind. "THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE." //ALMANACH DE LA COUR//. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. <http://www.chivalricorders.org/nobility/holyroman/>.