Ancient Roman culture

Over time Roman life changed: the rich lived in villas, ordinary people in multi-storey blocks. The capital had thermae — public baths available for a small fee, with pools, gyms and even a library. Education cost money; wealthy families sent children to school from 6–7 years old. Children wrote on wax-covered tablets with a stylus. At the next level they studied grammar, history, geometry and music, politicians learned rhetoric (public speaking), and Greek received great attention. Roman architecture is famed for roads, aqueducts, amphitheatres and triumphal arches. Using concrete the Romans built domes without columns: the Pantheon (“temple of all gods”) was built this way and still stands. The Colosseum also survives. Titus Livy wrote the “History of Rome”, Plutarch the lives of generals, Quintus Curtius Rufus a history of Alexander. In the 1st century CE Christianity appeared in Roman-ruled Palestine. Its founder is held to be Jesus Christ; his teaching is set out in the Gospel (“good news”). Jesus was crucified under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate (about 30 CE). Christians were persecuted many times, but in 313 CE the Edict of Milan, issued by the emperors Constantine and Licinius, gave Christianity freedom of worship.