Rome may not have been built in a day but it was certainly built to last.
By Simeon Netchev
Freelance Visual Designer
Introduction
The culture of ancient Rome intricately blended laws, military values, and cultural innovations to lay the groundwork for a civilization that endured for centuries. In this gallery of infographics, we examine some of the specific aspects of Roman culture such as the Twelve Tables legal code, the rigid social hierarchy, the organization of its famous military, and the enduring institution of the Roman emperors. We also look at how Roman roads were built and the fascinating construction details of Roman baths. Rome may not have been built in a day but it was certainly built to last.
The Roman Laws of the Twelve Tables, c. 449 BCE
An infographic illustrating The Laws of the Twelve Tables were a set of ancient Roman laws put together and displayed in public around 450 BCE. These laws formed the core of the Roman legal system and provided a written code of conduct and regulations for various aspects of Roman society. The Twelve Tables covered multiple topics, including civil, criminal, and procedural laws, property rights, marriage and family law, and rules regarding debt and contracts. They aimed to establish legal equality among Roman citizens and ensure transparency and predictability in legal matters. The Laws of the Twelve Tables had a lasting influence on Roman law and became the foundation of the Western legal systems.
Ancient Roman Society and Social Order
An illustration of the complexity and dynamics of the Ancient Roman society and social order. Ancient Roman society was structured along the lines of wealth, political privilege, ancestry, citizenship, and freedom (it was also unquestionably centered around men: women’s social status was defined by their fathers or husbands). Although the separation between different classes was well defined and set by law, there was a lot of interaction and overlapping hierarchies, placing the individual higher or lower in society in various contexts. The roman republic as a form of government endured throughout history and was copied and imitated countless times. The architecture of the United States government is largely influenced by the model of Rome.
Organization of the Roman Imperial Army
An infographic illustrating the hierarchical structure and divisions within the military land force of the Roman Empire (c. 27 BCE – 480 CE). The Imperial Roman Army was a formidable force, instrumental in the empire’s expansion, consolidation, and maintenance. Divided into legions (around 28 at most times), each comprising thousands of disciplined, standardly equipped, highly-trained soldiers skilled in various combat techniques and proficient in the use of weapons, the army of the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power of the ancient world.
The Emperors of Rome, 27 BCE – 285 CE
An infographic depicting the timeline of the emperors of Rome from the ascension of Caesar Augustus (Octavian) in 27 BCE until the end of the Crisis of the Third Century and the onset of the Tetrarchy under Diocletian “Jovius” in 285 CE through war, peace, crisis of succession and power vacancies.
The Five Good Emperors of the Roman Empire (96 – 180 CE)
An infographic illustrating the succession of Roman rulers between 96 and 180 CE, known as the Five Good Emperors (a term unknown to the ancient Romans, coined by Nicolo Machiavelli in his 1531 manuscript Discourses on Livy and made widely popular by Edward Gibbon in his 18th century The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,) Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. Those were everyone but two of the Nerva-Antonine Dynasty, with Lucius Verus and Commodus not making the cut. During the time of this “kingdom of gold” (Gibbon), the Roman Empire “was governed by absolute power under the guidance of wisdom and virtue.” (Gibbon) The 84-year period is widely accepted as the high point of the Empire, with Imperial Succession ensured through adoption based on merit and acceptance rather than a strict bloodline.
The Barracks Emperors of Rome, 235 – 284 CE
An infographic illustrating the chaos and volatility in the Roman Empire during the Crisis of the Third Century, known as the time of the Barracks Emperors. Also called “Soldier Emperors,” the term was introduced in the 19th century but made popular by Franz Altheim in the 1940s to mean rulers of Rome who were elevated to power by the army. In a time when the Empire was subjected to outside existential threats and considerable interior problems, the importance and ambition of the military commanders increased and following the assassination of Severus Alexander in 235 CE until the coronation of Diocletian in 284 CE, close to thirty emperors rose and fell (most of them violently and by the same swords that placed them on the throne). Some were uneducated, from simple origins, and didn’t manage to get above the immediate military tasks, while others (e.g., Decius, Valerian, Gallienus) belonged to the senatorial elite.
The Roads of Ancient Rome
An infographic illustrating the typical structure of Roman roads. It is believed that the Romans adopted the craft of road construction from the Etruscans, and as the empire grew, they incorporated ideas and techniques from other cultures. At its height, the Roman transportation network spanned 85,000 km (53,000 miles) of paved roads extending from Mesopotamia to Britain and from the Danube to Spain and North Africa. The engineers of the Roman army followed a uniform set of fundamental principles while adapting to local materials and conditions.
The Baths of the Roman Empire
An infographic illustrating a typical Roman bathhouse design and elements. The Baths of the Roman Empire were a complex network of public facilities playing a major role in the daily lives of the citizens of the empire. Most Roman baths followed a similar layout of interconnected rooms and spaces, including a frigidarium (cold room), tepidarium (warm room), and caldarium (hot room), along with an apodyterium (changing room), natatio (swimming pool), and palaestra (exercise areas). This standardized arrangement allowed bathers to navigate the complex with familiarity regardless of their location within the empire.
Originally published by the World History Encyclopedia, 01.17.2024, under a Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.