第五讲：古罗马文化

Lecture Five: Roman Culture

5.1. Brief History of Roman Culture

Ancient Roman often refers to the ancient civilization appeared in the middle of Italian peninsula in the beginning of the 9th century B.C., going through Roman Kingdom (罗马王政时代)，Roman Republic(罗马共和国) and Roman Empire（罗马帝国），which rose to be the most powerful empire by the first century whose territory stretching over Europe, Asia and Africa，dominating the Mediterranean. But by 395，Roman Empire was split into Eastern Roman Empire and Western Roman Empire. The Western Roman Empire ended up in 476, while the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium 拜占庭帝国)was wiped out by Ottoman Empire in 1453.（奥斯曼帝国，it was a Turkish state founded by Osman(奥斯曼一世)。It was in the middle of Asia in the beginning but expanded its territory to Asian Minor. In 1453 it wiped out Eastern Roman Empire and set its capital in Istanbul ( 伊斯坦布尔). In its heyday its territory stretched over Europe, Asia and Africa three continents，including Balkan peninsula, Asian Minor peninsula , the entire Middle East and most of Africa. By 17th century it stated to be on the wane, with its territory being encroached by the Tsarist Russia(沙皇俄国) and Britain and France. After the first World War, it only kept the headquarters of Turkey. In 1922, Ottoman Empire was overthrown completely）.

5.2. Roman Kingdom （753B.C.—509 B.C.罗马王政时代，又称罗马王国）

In the middle of the 8th century B.C., the Romans (Romulus and Remus罗莫路和勒莫) established the city-state of Rome in the middle of Latium plain (拉丁姆平原)in the downstream of Tiber River(台伯河) over the Italian peninsula. Its polity was then a traditional Monarchy.

5.3.The Roman Republic (509__27 B.C.罗马共和国)

After having demolished the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic began in 509 B.C., and lasted until 27 B.C., when Octavian (屋大维/奥古斯都Augustus ) became in effect the first Roman emperor. For the next 500 years, Rome would be governed by emperors. The Roman Republic was in essence ruled by the Roman aristocrats.

5.4.Roman Empire (27 B.C.---395 A.D.)

In 264 B.C., when the Roman Republic had established dominion over the Italian peninsula, there were four other great powers in the Mediterranean world_____ Carthage（迦太基，one of the ancient African countries, lies in what is today called Tunis, wiped out in 146B.C. by Roman Empire）, Macedonia（马其顿，one ancient state in Balkan Peninsula）, Egypt, and Syria. By 146 B.C., Rome had emerged victorious over the other powers and by 30 B.C., they were all Roman provinces.

In the chaotic years following Julius Caesar’s assassination in 44 B.C., the rising military powerful general Octavian usurped the highest state power after having put an end to Roman civil wars for decades. And by