The Culture of the Roman Empire

EXPERIENCING THE ROMAN EMPIRE HIST 1301 | History The Culture of the Roman Empire The number of provinces, which served as the administrative divisions of the Roman Empire, appears to have fluctuated constantly as new lands were acquired or lost. A magistrate appointed either directly by the emperor or by the Senate oversaw a province. A senatorial province had a one-year term of office, but an imperial province had an infinite duration. The imperium, or authority over a province or military legion, belonged to provincial governors. Having a staff of lieutenants and other officials to handle administrative tasks gave them a fair amount of autonomy in administering their domain. The Romans had conquered the western empire many times by the first century CE. After Julius Caesar invaded the provinces of Britain and Gaul (which is now France and certain places east of it) in the 50s BCE, there were several cultural changes in these regions. The distinct culture that emerged in Gaul was moulded by the Romanization process. A blending of cultures was facilitated by the presence of Roman and local Gallic aristocracy, who were often soldiers during their tenure. Roads and centuriation, the process of charting the land onto a grid for development, are typical Roman elements that show how Gaul was integrated into the larger Roman economy. To feed the Roman soldiers, the region's output of products grew. Roman-style villas with peristyle or columned courtyards, stone masonry, and tiled roofs were built by the Gauls. Roman architectural style also became recognisable in urban areas. This changing culture in Gaul demonstrates how the Roman way of life was adopted after the invasion. Though the Roman troops did not maintain a permanent presence in the region, there was an increase in interaction with Roman culture during Julius Caesar's conquest of Britain in 55 BCE. Therefore, the southern part of the island was annexed by the empire by the emperor Claudius, who invaded Britain in 43 CE. Centuriation and road building were attempts at direct control of the local populace, unlike what happened in Gaul. Roman civilization was imposed on the area, as evidenced by its military. The Roman army built camps and forts in addition to roadways, such as the massive wall known as Hadrian's Wall, which was erected in the first part of the second century to mark a boundary. Small cities were nevertheless able to support a local population, which raised agricultural output and assimilated a condensed form of Roman culture. The town of Silchester, for instance, had a forum, a potential early Christian church, and an amphitheatre that could have been used for gladiatorial contests. The connection between the people and Rome was equally complicated in the eastern empire. Romans were enthralled with Greece and its classical history even before its conquest in the second century BCE. Hellenism, or the veneration of the Greek philosophical, religious, and educational institutions, shaped Roman perceptions of this area. Romans were influenced by Greek culture to have both a respect for and concerns for language, literature, and even dress. For example, as Greek gained popularity among the educated and aristocratic in ancient Rome, some began to believe that Latin and Greek were at odds. In an attempt to express Roman identity, the Greek pallium cloak was juxtaposed with the Roman toga. Emperors like Hadrian and Augustus extolled the virtues of ancient Greece in an effort to maintain its historical grandeur; they enforced a Roman conception of Greekness in the area by funding the construction of monuments, while the local Greek nobility pursued grants and imperial favour in their towns. Rome and North Africa have a lengthy history of communication. By the second century BCE, the Romans had conquered the coastal areas through a series of battles with the Carthaginians. Local communities in the west saw a period of strong urban construction after the conquest as the Romans worked to establish the boundary. Similar to Greece, Egypt had a significant impact on the Romans in the east. Egyptian religious cults spread, and Egyptian art and architecture also did, with elements like hippos and crocodiles showing up in the artwork of affluent Roman residences. It's possible that Romans were somewhat aware of the Egyptian custom of embalming the deceased around the first century CE. In addition, the multiethnic character of individuals in Roman Egypt is reflected in the encaustic portraits that covered tombs. Ancient Egypt is the source of this artistic movement, which involved painting on wood using colours combined with wax. However, the people of the photographs have Greek and Egyptian names and are dressed in Roman garb.