Question

1.What were the three cultures that influenced the development of Roman culture? What did each culture contribute?

2.What led to the fall of the Empire? What did Julius Caesar do to try to prevent it?

Answer 1

1. Three main groups of people settled near Italian peninsula and influenced Roman civilisation. They are:

• Latium
• The Etruscans
• The Greek

The Latium settlement, people were farmers and raised livestock. They spoke their own language which become known as Latin. Eventually they united and formed city of Rome and Latin became its official language.

The Etruscans were excellent builders and engineers. Two important structures the Romans adapted from the Etruscans were the arch and the cuniculus. The arches were used to build bridges ,stadiums and aqueducts to carry water over long distance. The cuniculus were used to help with irrigation, drainage and bringing water to the city. Two sporting events were also adapted by the romans from the Etruscans ; slave fighting and chariot races.

The Greek architecture was one important influence on roman culture.The Greek built marble temples as homes for their gods. The Romans used Greek designs in their own public buildings. The Greek alphabet was used and changed by Etruscans. The Romans borrowed and altered the Etruscan alphabet. Therefore Roman alphabet has its root from Greek. Roman poets and writers were inspired by Greek poetry and myths. The Greek religion especially influenced Roman ideas about the gods

2. Military, social, political and economic are four factors of Rome's decline. All factors dragged down the Roman Empire since they all are linked with one another. Fall in population due to the unemployment, lack of interest in public affairs and low confidence in the empire , internal divisions among the people and authorities led to the fall of empire. The most straightforward explanation is the string of military losses against outside forces. Rome had tangled with Germanic tribes for centuries but by the 300s barbarian groups like the Goths had encroached beyond the Empire's border. The last Roman emperors were overthrown by Germanic leader Odoacer.

Julius Caesar overthrew the Rome's decaying political order and replaced it with a dictatorship. He tried to solve the problem faced by Roman people. He dealt with widespread debt in Rome and unemployment. As a way to reduce unemployment, the poor were offered a new life in Rome's overseas colonies. Caesars impact on Rome continued even after his death when ,in his will , he stipulated that his villa , the gardens surrounding it and his art gallery all be made public.