Paper

Today in class we started our papers. Here is mine so far:

                The Pax Romana, by Wikipedia definition, is the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by military force experienced by the Roman Empire in the 1^st and 2^nd centuries AD. Caesar Augustus played a huge role in the Pax Romana, hint why it is sometimes called the Pax Augusta. One reason this was so successful was because the Roman Legion was able to patrol the boarders very successfully. In 27 B.C Augusta got ascended which was the reason why the Pax Romana even started. During this time, Rome switched government to a Monarchy. This is when a bunch of things really started to take off. People were peaceful with each other, and no wars were going on.

            Rome started to take part of and share Greek culture and the Latin peoples joined in with a new language. Literature began to take off and Livius Andronicus was making the Odyssey into a play people could watch that was very entertaining. This is when they all began to use Greek literature forms. Some of the most famous writers were Plautus, Terence and Aristophanes. Plautus and Terence were somewhat alike, and they focused on subjects like love and money. People were interested in them because they added humor to their plays, and switched it from serious to happy and humorous. These two poets tried to write about things most of the people could connect to in life. However, literature was not the only thing that started to progress in Roman society.

            Architecture and engineering started to boom in Rome. Old buildings got tortured and eroded, but the Romans kept them there, as if they were a sign of power. Things like roads, arches, vaults, domes, temples, statues, etc. started to be built and found all through Rome. Forums were the nicest and biggest of all Roman buildings, and served as a “marketplace” for the republic. Many emperors were involved in the process of making their forums. In the beginning of the Roman 2^nd century, Capitoline Hill had one built on it and it belonged to Trajan. Even bigger and better than his, was the forum of Dacia. The Romans then went on to build temples, and the structure they used came heavily from the Greek culture.  There was a temple that went by the name of the Pantheon and it was considered by the Romans to be the Temple of All the Gods. All of this building would not have been possible if it wasn't for the Romans new building techniques. Previous empires used stone, but the Romans saw that with the use of materials like concrete and stone and even brick the things they were building would stand better and for a long amount of time. Bathhouses were created and very popular because warm water got put into them, so the people had a source of warm water, not whatever they could find in a stream, lake, etc. People who belonged to lower class and did not have enough money could afford the expense of using the recreational areas like the swimming pools, bars, and theaters. Colosseum found in Rome may be among one of the biggest achievements that people still know about today. If you were to visit Rome today, you can still see the Colosseum because it is still there. In Roman history, it was used for battle scenes, and most importantly chariot races.