This book gave a very interesting perspective of what happened during 100 BC-AD 200. It told about everything that happened from fashion to the struggle for power. This book gave a person, who knew little about the Roman Empire, the opportunity to catch up, and a person, who knew quite a bit, more details. Although this book was just an overview of what happened, it sets up what would later happen over the course of history. While a good learning guide for beginners in Roman history, this book expected people to know some of events before its time period.
What life was Like When Rome Ruled the World emphasized the importance of social class. It was highly discouraged for a rich man to marry a poor woman, and in some cases it was against the law. The chances of a poor boy or girl to grow up rich were astronomical, because of the economy at the time. During schooling, older boys were instructed in swordplay, horse riding, boxing, and fencing. The wealthier families would let their kids roam the streets and get into mischief during the night. Most Romans had rooms over shops or rented cramped apartments.
The wealthier classmen had large houses in town and estates in the country. In 509 BC Rome established a republic under two annually elected counsels, beginning with Brutus and Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus. Rome had many rulers during its reign, but probably their most famous was Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar served as co-counsel with Mark Anthony. Traditionally, Romes two counsels had been elected by the citizenry to lead the republic for a term of one year, except in times of crisis, when one man was appointed to serve temporarily as dictator.
Caesar was trying to be assassinated by Cassius and Brutus. He had a dream on the very eve of the ides of March, that he raped his mother. This meant he was destined to conquer earth, our universal mother. On the night of March 14 he dreamed that he was soaring above the clouds and shaking hands with Jupiter. When Julius Caesar was carried into the building, he turned to the augur Spurinna and said, The ides of March have come. Servilius Casca then stabbed Caesar. Others then joined in, some missing their target and stabbing each other.
When Caesar saw that Brutus had joined in, he turned to him and said in Greek, You, too, my child? The Romans had quite a bit of pride in their myths and stories. They believed a woman could be granted fertility by being lashed by a priest with a sacred goatskin. They also believed in the Greek gods. The Romans believed that the ascent of Rome started with the fall of Troy. They believed Aeneas escaped the desecration of the fabled stronghold by the Greeks by sailing to Italy where he wed a daughter of a king. Romans enjoyed their games.
Common people had reason to cherish the games, because the gatherings brought them in touch with their leaders and made them feel privileged. Julius Caesar spent extravagantly on games to bolster his reputation. The games were just diversions to honor the gods, but spectators took joy in the occasion. Chariot racing was the oldest and most popular of all the games. According to legend, Romulus organized a day o chariot racing soon after he founded Rome. The Circus Maximus was the largest of all the hosts of chariot racing. It seated around 150,000 people, which is around three times as many as the Colosseum.
The Colosseum was addorned with white marble and glided passageways. It seated 50,000 people. It had underground cells for wild beasts to be held for gladiator games. The book made me interested in the Roman culture. It makes me wonder how modern day culture has grown from the Roman times. This book also got me wondering about the social classes. I wonder where the classes came from, they had to start from someone. What Life Was Like When Rome Ruled the World is a unique book, which demonstrates all of what life had to offer during the Roman Empire.
