Explore the achievements of the Rome in this virtual field trip.

1. THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF
ANCIENT ROME
A VIRTUAL FIELDTRIP

2. AVE OR HELLO. I AM THE ROMAN POET
VIRGIL. I COMPOSED MANY WORKS
DURING MY LIFETIME BUT MY MOST
FAMOUS IS PROBABLY THE AENEID.
THE AENEID WAS A POEM ABOUT THE
FOUNDING OF ROME, WHICH TRACES
THE HISTORY OF OUR GREAT EMPIRE
ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE TROJAN
WAR.
THE ROMAN EMPIRE INFLUENCED
WESTERN CIVILIZATION IN MANY WAYS.
TODAY I AM HERE TO GUIDE YOU ON
YOUR TOUR OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF
ANCIENT ROME. SOME OF WHAT YOU
SEE MIGHT LOOK FAMILIAR,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE VISITED
YOUR OWN CAPITAL CITY WASHINGTON,
D.C. DIES FELICES!
THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF ANCIENT ROME

3. YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED MY LATIN PHRASES. THAT IS BECAUSE
LATIN AND GREEK WERE THE LANGUAGES OF THE ROMAN
EMPIRE. MOST PEOPLE IN THE WESTERN HALF OF THE EMPIRE
SPOKE LATIN WHILE THE EASTERN HALF SPOKE GREEK. MUCH
LATER ON, AFTER ROME HAD FALLEN, OTHER LANGUAGES
WOULD DEVELOP FROM LATIN LIKE FRENCH, SPANISH, AND
ITALIAN. THESE LANGUAGES ARE CALLED ROMANCE
LANGUAGES BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL HEAVILY INFLUENCED
BY THE LATIN SPEAKING ROMANS. CHECK OUT MY MAP OF THE
ROMANCE LANGUAGES.
THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF ANCIENT ROME:
ROMANCE LANGUAGES

4. TRAVEL BY ROMAN ROADS
TO THE CITY OF ROME
THE ROADS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE STILL
CRISS CROSS EUROPE TODAY. THEY WERE
THE MOST EXTENSIVE ROAD SYSTEM IN THE
ANCIENT WORLD. NEWS, MONEY, AND EVEN
RELIGIONS TRAVELED UP AND DOWN THE
EMPIRE ON ROMAN ROADS LIKE THE APPIAN
WAY
CLICK ON THE
PICTURE TO TO
TAKE A SIDE TRIP
AND EXPLORE
THE ROMAN
ROADS OF GREAT
BRITAIN.

5. WELCOME TO TO THE CITY OF ROME
HEY LOOK! ALL ROADS REALLY DO LEAD TO
ROME. ENTER THE CITY BY CLICKING TO THE
NEXT PAGE.

6. OUR FIRST STOP IS THE PANTHEON
THE PANTHEON STILL STANDS IN THE CITY OF
ROME TODAY. IT WAS BUILT AS A TEMPLE
DEDICATED NOT TO ONE GOD, BUT TO ALL
THE GODS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. FOR OVER
1400 YEARS THE DOME OF THE PANTHEON
WAS THE LARGEST FREE STANDING CONCRETE
DOME IN THE WORLD!
Click on
the model
of the
Pantheon
to view a
panorama
of the
interior.

7. THE PANTHEON
THE ROMANS USED CONCRETE TO
CONSTRUCT MANY OF THEIR GREATEST
BUILDINGS AND MONUMENTS. THE
CONCRETE OF THE PANTHEON’S DOME IS
SPECIAL BECAUSE IT IS MIXED WITH A
MATERIAL CALLED PUMICE TO MAKE IT
LIGHTER IN WEIGHT THE CLOSER IT IS TO
THE TOP. ITS COMPLEX ENGINEERING IS ONE
REASON WHY THE BUILDING STILL STANDS
TODAY ALMOST 1900 YEARS LATER.
Question 1
The Roman temple known as the
Pantheon was built to honor the greatest
of the Roman Gods, Jupiter.

8. NEXT STOP IS THE COLOSSEUM
THE COLOSSEUM STILL STANDS IN THE CITY
OF ROME TODAY. WHAT WENT ON INSIDE AT
THE HEIGHT OF THE EMPIRE? CLICK ON THE
PICTURE TO FIND OUT!

9. THE COLOSSEUM
THE DESIGN OF THE COLOSSEUM WITH ITS
ROWS OF SEATS ANGLED TOWARDS THE
CENTER SHOULD LOOK FAMILIAR TO ANYONE
WHO HAS VISITED A SPORTS STADIUM TODAY.
ONE BIG DIFFERENCE: ADMISSION TO THE
COLOSSEUM WAS FREE!
Question 2
On special occasions the Romans
would flood the floor of the
Colosseum to reenact famous naval
battles.

10. COMING UP IS THE FORUM
NOT FAR FROM THE PANTHEON IS THE
CENTER OF ROME AND HER EMPIRE, THE
FORUM. THE FORUM WAS BEGUN BY JULIUS
CAESAR AND EXPANDED BY LATER RULERS.
SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS MONUMENTS
OF ANCIENT ROME WERE LOCATED THERE.
Click on the
picture of
the forum for
a panoramic
view of how
it looks
today.

11. THE FORUM-ROMAN LAW
THE LAWS OF ANCIENT ROME WERE ALSO
DISPLAYED IN THE FORUM. THEY WERE
WRITTEN IN LATIN (THE LANGAUGE OF
ANCIENT ROME) ON TWELVE LARGE TABLETS
FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.
SOME OF THE PRINCIPLES OF ROMAN LAW WRITTEN ON THE TWELVE
TABLES APPEAR IN OUR OWN LAW CODE. THE PRINCIPLES
INCLUDED:
1. All citizens had the right to equal treatment under the law.
2. A person was considered innocent until proven guilty.
3. The burden of proof rested with the accuser rather than the accused.
4. You could only be punished for actions, not thoughts.
5. Any law that seemed unreasonable or grossly unfair could be set aside
COMPARE THE FOUR PRINCIPALS OF ROMAN LAW
TO SELECTIONS YOUR OWN CONSITUTION. CAN
YOU FIND ONE SIMILARITY?

12. THE ARCH
DID YOU NOTICE THE ARCHES ON MANY OF
THE BUILDINGS AROUND YOU DURING YOUR
TRIP THROUGH THE FORUM? ROMAN
ENGINEERS WERE FAMOUS FOR THE USE OF
THE ARCH. THROUGH THE USE OF ARCHES
THEY COULD CONSTRUCT MORE IMPRESSIVE
BUILDINGS THAN MANY CIVIILIZATIONS WHO
HAD COME BEFORE OR AFTER.
Question 3
How many arches did you see on
the Arch of Septimius Severus?

13. AQUEDUCTS
ARCHES ALSO SUPPORTED THE AQUEDUCTS
OF ANCIENT ROME. AQUEDUCTS WERE A
SYSTEM OF BRIDGES AND TUNNELS THAT
CARRIED FRESH WATER FROM THE
MOUNTAINS TO THE CITIES OF ANCIENT
ROME. ROMAN AQUEDUCTS STILL STURVIVE
ALL OVER EUROPE TODAY.
Lets follow the
path of this
aqueduct from
the mountains
into the cities of
the Empire…Click
the forward
button to
continue.

14. OUR LAST STOP IS A ROMAN BATH
THE ROMANS BELIEVED VERY STRONGLY IN
PUBLIC HYGIENE. THE CREATED PUBLIC
BATHS AND EVEN SEWER SYSTEMS THROUGH
OUT THEIR EMPIRE. CLICK THE PICTURE
BELOW TO EXPLORE A ROMAN BATH IN THE
CITY OF BATH, ENGLAND.

15. ROMAN BATH ART
THE PUBLIC BATHS OF ROMAN CITIES WERE
HIGHLY DECORATED. MANY CONTAINED
FRESCOS, MOSIACS, AND BAS-RELIEFS.
SOME EVEN SURVIVE FOR YOU TO EXAMINE
TODAY.
Frescos are wall-paintings.
Many wealthy Romans had
frescos painted through out
their homes. The best
examples we have today are
from the Roman city of
Pompeii.

16. POST FIELD TRIP ACTIVITY
Now its your turn! In three paragraphs describe
three ways the Roman Empire has influenced
our own society today. Think about art,
architecture, literature or government to help
get you started. Remember, a paragraph is 4-6
sentences.
Bona Fortuna!