The+Roman+Empire

If anything, the Romans had a practical attitude to religion, as to most things, which perhaps explain why they themselves had difficulty in taking to the idea of a single, all-seeing, all-powerful god. In so far as the Romans had a religion of their own, it was not based on any central belief, but on a mixture of fragmented rituals, taboos, superstitions, and traditions which they collected over the years from a number of sources. To the Romans, religion was less a spiritual experience than a contractual relationship between mankind and the forces which were believed to control people's existence and well-being. The result of such religious attitudes were two things: a state cult, the significant influence on political and military events of which outlasted the republic, and a private concern, in which the head of the family oversaw the domestic rituals and prayers in the same way as the representatives of the people performed the public ceremonials. However, as circumstances and people's view of the world changed, individuals whose personal religious needs remained unsatisfied turned increasingly during the first century AD to the mysteries, which were of Greek origin, and to the cults of the east. ** [|Roman Literature] ** Roman literature was from it’s very heavily influenced by Greek authors. Some of the earliest works we possess are of historical epics telling the early military history of Rome. As the empire expanded, authors began to produce poetry, comedy, history, and tragedy. Virgil represents the high point of Roman epic poetry. He tells the story of flight of Aeneas from Troy and his settlement of the city that would become Rome. Licentious, in his //On the Nature of Things//, attempted to explain science in an epic poem. The genre of satire was common in Rome, and satires were written by, among others, Juvenal __ [63] __ and Persians. Many Roman homes were decorated with landscapes by Greek artists. Portrait sculpture __ [64] __ during the period used youthful and classical proportions, evolving later into a mixture of realism and idealism. Advancements were also made in relief sculptures, often showing Roman victories. ** Roman Art ** Traditional Roman sculpture is divided into five categories: portraiture, historical relief, funerary relieves, sarcophagi, and copies of ancient Greek works. __ [23] __ Roman sculpture was heavily influenced by Greek examples, in particular their bronzes. It is only thanks to some Roman copies that knowledge of Greek originals is preserved. One example of this is at the British Museum, where an intact 2nd century A.D. Roman copy of a statue of Venus is displayed, while a similar original 500 B.C. Greek statue at the Louvre is missing her arms.
 * The religion of Rome **

Rome itself, finding people could be a serious problem. In Rome some major streets had names, but most didn't. Hence Romans simply described where we state a house number. People would state that they lived near certain landmarks. These could be statues, major roads, public baths, temples, gardens, even particular trees. Sometimes nameless streets would be described by what points they connected, and were referred to as '//the road to....//'
 * The Roman addresses **

** Science and Engineering ** Roman bridges were among the first large and lasting bridges ever built .They were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure. Most utilized concrete as well. Built in 142 BC, the Pons Aemilius, later named //Ponte Rotto// (broken bridge) is the oldest Roman stone bridge in Rome, Italy. The biggest Roman Bridge was Trajan's bridge over the lower Danube, constructed by Apollodorus of Damascus, which remained for over a millennium the longest bridge to have been built both in terms of overall and span length. They were most of the time at least 18 meters above the body of water. An example of temporary military bridge construction is the two Caesar's Rhine bridges. ** Public Law ** The Roman Republic's constitution or //mos maiorum// ("custom of the ancestors") was an unwritten set of guidelines and principles passed down mainly through precedent. Concepts that originated in the Roman constitution live on in constitutions to this day. Examples include checks and balances, the separation of powers, vetoes, filibusters, quorum requirements, term limits, impeachments, the powers of the purse, and regularly scheduled elections. Even some lesser used modern constitutional concepts, such as the block voting found in the electoral college of the United States, originate from ideas found in the Roman constitution. The constitution of the Roman Republic was not formal or even official. Its constitution was largely unwritten, and was constantly evolving throughout the life of the republic. Throughout the 1st century BC, the power and legitimacy of the Roman constitution was progressively eroding. Even Roman constitutionalists, such as the senator Cicero, lost a willingness to remain faithful to it towards the end of the republic. When the Roman Republic ultimately fell in the years following the Battle of Actium and Mark Antony's suicide, what was left of the Roman constitution died along with the republic. The first Roman Emperor, Augustus, attempted to manufacture the appearance of a constitution that still governed the empire. The belief in a surviving constitution lasted well into the life of the Roman Empire.