A. In its early days, Rome absorbed ideas from Greek colonists in southern Italy and it continued to borrow heavily from Greek culture after it conquered Greece
B. In the field of art, the Romans owed a great debt to the Greeks
C. From England to Spain to North Africa to the Middle East, you can see the Roman buildings that combine both Greek and Roman elements and ideas
XV. Literature, Philosophy, and History
A. In literature, too, educated Romans admired the Greeks
B. In his epic poem Aeneid, Virgil tried to show that Rome�s past was as heroic as that of Greece
C. Roman historians pursued their own theme�the rise and fall of Roman power
XVI. Roman Law
A. Probably the greatest legacy of Rome was its commitment to the rule of law and to justice�ideas that have shaped western civilization today
B. During the republic, Rome developed a system of law, known as the civil law, that applied to its citizens
C. As Roman law developed, certain basic principles evolved
XVII. Jews and the Roman Empire
A. Generally, Rome tolerated the varied religious traditions of its culturally diverse empire
B. Among the people in the empire were the Jews
C. By 63 B.C., the Romans had conquered Palestine, where most Jews of the time lived, and made it into the province of Judea
XVIII. The Life of Jesus
A. As turmoil engulfed the Jews in Palestine, a new religion, Christianity, rose among them
B. Jesus� teachings were firmly rooted in Jewish tradition
C. Jesus believed in one God and accepted the Ten Commandments
XIX. Spread of Christianity
A. At first, Christianity remained a sect, or small group, within Judaism
B. Then Paul, a Jew from Asia Minor, began the wider spread of the new faith
C. Paul had never seen Jesus. In fact, he had been among those who persecuted Jesus� followers
XX. Early Christian Church
A. Early Christian communities began to organize a formal Church
B. Each community had its own priest
C. Priests came under the authority of a bishop, a Church official who was a responsible for all Christians in an area called a diocese
XXI. The Empire in Crisis
A. After the death of the emperor Marcus Aurelius in 180, the Pax Romana ended
B. For the next 100 years, political turmoil rocked the Roman empire
C. One after another, ambitious generals seized power, ruled for a few months or years, and then were overthrown by rival commanders
XXII. Efforts at Reform
A. The political and economic problems underlying the chaos had existed since the late republic
B. In 284, the emperor Diocletian set out to restore order
C. Diocletian tried to increase the prestige of the emperor by surrounding himself with elaborate ceremonies
XXIII. Foreign Invasions
A. For centuries, Rome had faced attacks from the Germanic peoples who lived along its northern borders
B. When Rome was powerful , it held back invaders
C. As the empire declined, however, it was forced to give up its territories
XXIV. The End of Greatness
A. Perhaps the most obvious cause of Rome�s fall was the Germanic invasions
B. Sill, these attacks were successful in part because Roman legions of the late empire lacked the discipline and training of past Roman armies
C. To meet its need for soldiers, Rome hired mercenaries, or foreign soldiers serving for pay, to defend its borders