Geography Assignment 3 PDF

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Professor Atkinson-Palombo...

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GEOG1200/URBN1200,WORKSHEET, Engineering,an,Empire:,Rome, , Instructions:,,Watch,the,documentary,,Engineering,an,Empire:,Rome,(see,link,on,HuskyCT),,and, answer,the,following,questions.,,Your,responses,should,be,succinct,and,be,limited,to,800-1,000,words, for,the,entire,exercise., Turn+in:,,via,HuskyCT,at,the,following,link:,,, CourseOverviewandSyllabus/Part1.OriginsoftheWesternWorld/Rome:EngineeringanEmpire, Total,Points,Possible:,100, 1. Discuss,the,impacts,of,Julius,Caesar,reign,on,Rome’s,political,history,(10,points), Julius+Caesar’s+reign+forever+altered+Rome’s+political+landscape;+named+the+Empire’s+first+ dictator+for+life,+the+consolidation+of+power+that+ensued+dismantled+the+previous+system+ of+ electing+ senators+ and+ consuls+ and+ effectively+ marked+ the+ death+ of+ the+ democratic+ republic.+His+desire+to+become+a+great+conqueror+expanded+the+reach+of+Roman+influence+ to+new+territories,+most+notably+Gaul.+While+Caesar’s+untethered+ambition+and+tyrannical+ ways+earned+him+the+disapproval+of+the+Senate+and+eventually+led+to+his+assassination,+he+ was+the+first+of+a+long+line+of+Roman+emperors+that+ruled+in+absolute+authority.++ 2. ,Explain, what, distinguished, Rome, from, the, other, neighboring, kingdoms, and, helped, its, transformation,from,a,small,kingdom,to,a,regional,power,(10,points), Founded+by+the+brothers+Romulus+and+Remus,+Rome+was+established+as+an+asylum+for+ outcasts,+a+safe+haven+and+free+zone+for+any+outsiders+that+wished+to+join.+This+open+policy+ allowed+ the+ city+ to+ obtain+ a+ sizable+ population+ of+ diverse+ inhabitants.+ This+ openness,+ unique+ from+ the+ policies+ of+ exclusive+ neighboring+ kingdoms,+ encouraged+ the+ free+ exchange+of+ideas.+Intellectual+fluidity+allowed+Rome+to+collect+and+employ+technologies+ and+engineering+theories+from+other+cultures.+By+borrowing,+adapting,+and+refining+these+ innovations,+Rome+physically+expanded+and+improved,+growing+with+the+influxes+of+new+ citizens+that+the+city+welcomed.+Reinvigorating+technology+of+the+past+allowed+Rome+to+ achieve+ far+ beyond+ the+ reach+ of+ other+ kingdoms,+ cementing+ its+ position+ as+ a+ regional+ power.+ 3. In,your,opinion,,list,the,most,significant,Roman,engineering,achievements,and,innovations,and, explain, their, implications, for, the, development, of, the, city, of, Rome, as, well, as, for, the, Roman, Empire,(10,points), The+Cloaca+Maxima,+Rome’s+sophisticated+sewer+system+and+the+first+of+its+kind,+drained+ the+surrounding+marshlands,+enabling+the+construction+of+Rome’s+first+forum.+This+urban+ center+consolidated+culture+and+created+a+common+social+gathering+place,+infusing+a+more+ cohesive,+ centralized,+ and+ unified+ culture+ into+ what+ had+ previously+ been+ a+ series+ of+

unconnected+ tribes.+ It+ also+ removed+ the+ waste+ of+ the+ city’s+ inhabitants,+ making+ Rome+ remarkably+clean+for+a+city+of+its+size.+ Roman+ roads+ were+ a+ monumental+ innovation,+ especially+ the+ empire’s+ first+ national+ highway,+the+Via+Appia.+Running+132+miles,+this+road+provided+the+straightest+and+fastest+ route+ down+ the+ coast+ and+ connected+ the+ center+ of+ the+ empire+ to+ its+ more+ remote+ territories.+Serving+as+a+main+route+for+military+supplies,+it+revolutionized+Roman+travel+ and+defense;+the+remarkably+well-engineered+road+still+stands+today,+a+testament+to+its+ structural+integrity.++ Aqueducts+symbolized+Roman+ingenuity+and+revolutionized+the+city,+providing+a+system+ of+ water+ distribution+ unlike+ any+ other.+ + The+ steady+ supply+ of+ running+ water+ could+ be+ accessed+ by+ citizens+ daily,+ providing+ an+ unprecedented+ measure+ of+ convenience+ and+ cleanliness+to+the+city.+The+200+million+gallons+that+were+pumped+into+the+city+each+day+ sustained+an+enormous+population,+fostering+a+new+urban+culture.+They+were+designed+in+ characteristic+ arches,+ which+ reformed+ architects’+ spatial+ conception+ and+ created+ stronger,+well-supported+structures+with+less+materials.++ 4. Draw,a,map,by+hand,showing,the,extent,of,the,Roman,Empire,at,its,height,(20,points),(your, hand-drawn,map,should,be,photographed,or,scanned,to,translate,the,image,to,an,electronic, format,such,as,.JPEG,and,inserted,into,this,worksheet)., Red+=+Roman+Territories++

5. Describe, the, design, and, significance, of, the, following, Roman, constructions:, , the, Forum,, the, Pantheon,,the,Colosseum,,and,Hadrian’s,Wall,(15,points,in,total), The+ Colosseum:+ Built+ by+ Vespasian+ atop+ Nero’s+ drained+ lake,+ the+ construction+ of+ the+ Colosseum+symbolically+transformed+the+private+space+of+a+greedy+emperor+into+a+public+ space+of+communal+enjoyment.+The+massive+amphitheater,+160+feet+tall,+represented+the+ city’s+prowess+in+matters+of+power,+engineering,+and+wealth.+Architects+incorporated+the+ designs+of+2+Greek+theaters+back+to+back+to+create+one+round+entertainment+venue+with+ an+intricate+network+of+corridors+and+staircases+that+allowed+for+travel+through+venue.+ Crowds+were+kept+comfortable+by+a+retractable+roof+that+shaded+them+on+hot+days,+and+ underground+water+channels+were+implemented+to+flood+the+substructure+and+recreate+ naval+battles.+This+substructure+later+became+the+hypogeum,+a+system+of+elevators+and+ trap+ doors+ that+ housed+ deadly+ beasts+ that+ made+ the+ venue’s+ battles+ gorier+ than+ ever+ before.++

The+Forum:+Trajan’s+Forum,+a+center+of+government,+commerce,+and+culture,+was+a+great+ feat+of+manpower;+entire+hills+were+levelled+to+make+way+for+this+marble+network+of+Greek+ and+Latin+libraries,+statues,+a+piazza,+and+a+2-story+basilica+where+laws+were+created+and+ cases+tried.+A+125-foot+column,+carved+with+the+illustrated+story+of+Trajan’s+invasion+of+ Daca,+stands+as+propaganda+for+the+emperor.+This+urban+center+houses+Trajan’s+Market,+ a+hemicycle+of+storefronts+that+reinforced+the+carved+out+hillside.+These+shops,+halls,+etc.+ were+a+main+street+for+the+masses+while+the+rest+of+the+Forum+was+an+opulent+area+for+the+ elite.++ Hadrian’s+ Wall:+ Built+ by+ Hadrian+ to+ maintain+ Rome’s+ borders,+ this+ massive+ barricade+ sealed+off+Britannia+from+invading+barbarian+tribes.+This+ambitious+fortification+stood+15+ feet+high+and+contained+a+9-foot+ditch+at+its+base+with+a+120-foot+wide+ditch+behind+it+to+ maximize+defense.+Built+amongst+jagged+terrain+and+cliff+edges,+the+natural+geology+of+the+ land+made+the+wall’s+construction+difficult,+but+aided+in+its+defense.+The+area+behind+the+ wall+housed+a+town+that+contained+an+entire+army,+ready+at+any+moment.+The+impressive+ structure,+built+in+just+five+years,+secured+Rome’s+northwest+border+and+was+a+reminder+ of+its+indisputable+dominance.++ The+Pantheon:+This+majestic+temple+to+the+Roman+gods+was+constructed+by+Hadrian+in+the+ wake+ of+ a+ burned+ down+ temple+ complex.+ It+ revolutionized+ architecture+ with+ the+ construction+of+its+rotunda,+a+huge+interior+space+capped+by+a+dome+ceiling+that+stood+150+ feet+high+without+support+from+columns.+This+was+the+largest+unsupported+concrete+span+ in+ the+ world+ for+ 18+ centuries.+ The+ oculus,+ a+ 30-foot+ hole+ at+the+ dome’s+top,+ eliminated+ weight,+allowing+the+dome+to+stand,+and+lit+up+the+interior.++ 6. What,role,did,public,baths,play,in,Roman,society,and,culture?,,(10,points), Caracalla+built+impressive+baths+in+an+attempt+to+leave+an+architectural+legacy.+Open+to+ people+ of+ every+ class,+ the+ baths+ were+ a+ social+ commune+ where+ commoners+ socialized,+ relaxed,+and+enjoyed+themselves+in+a+luxurious+yet+non-elitist+setting.+The+series+of+giant+ rooms+housed+hot+and+cold+pools,+some+Olympic-sized+and+some+private.+Trimmed+with+ gold+and+marble,+the+structure+brought+opulence+to+the+common+citizen+and+encouraged+ mingling+ amongst+ the+ masses,+ as+ it+ could+ accommodate+ 2,000+ at+ a+ time.+ The+ complex+ housed+track+and+field+events,+libraries,+shops,+etc.,+attracting+a+wide+range+of+citizens+and+ creating+a+pleasant+social+atmosphere.++ 7. Discuss,what,you,see,at,three,of,the,most,significant,legacies,of,the,Roman,Empire,(5,points, each,for,a,total,of,15,points)., Roman+ engineering+ is+ certainly+ one+ of+ its+ most+ significant+ legacies;+ the+ innovation+ of+ sewage+ systems,+ aqueducts,+ and+ roads+ revolutionized+ transportation+ and+ clean,+ comfortable+living,+allowing+the+city+to+sustain+an+unprecedented+population+with+ease.+ These+Roman+innovations,+highly+advanced+for+their+time,+are+still+used+as+templates+for+

civilizations+ today.+ Never+ before+ had+ a+ city+ been+ so+ physically+ connected+ and+ clean/healthy,+all+with+a+consistent+abundance+of+water+that+added+a+measure+of+luxury+ to+even+the+lives+of+commoners.+ The+Roman+political+system+stood+as+the+inspiration+for+modern+governing+systems.+The+ republic+employed+a+democratic+system;+the+Senate,+legislative+assemblies,+and+consul,+ for+example,+influenced+the+organization+of+the+United+States+Congress.+Rome+also+had+a+ sophisticated+system+of+writing+laws+and+trying+cases,+a+highly+developed+procedure+that+ remains+mimicked+today.++ Finally,+Roman+architecture+stands+as+a+testament+to+the+greatness+of+the+Empire+and+the+ speed+with+which+it+could+construct+innovative,+impressive+monuments.+The+remains+of+ the+Colosseum,+the+Forum,+the+Pantheon,+and+Hadrian’s+Wall+allow+the+modern+world+to+ imagine+ the+ skill,+ discipline,+ and+ determination+ with+ which+ they+ were+ constructed.+ Remains+of+structures+like+Caracalla’s+baths+integrated+luxury,+opulence,+and+beauty+with+ functionality+and+modernization,+a+hallmark+of+Roman+architectural+ingenuity.+ 8. What,are,the,reasons,discussed,in,the,documentary,for,the,fall,of,Rome?,,(10,points)., After+a+devastating+fire+gutted+the+Colosseum,+the+“soul+of+the+capital”,+the+Empire+never+ recovered,+leading+to+its+decline+over+3+centuries.+Various+theories+as+to+the+cause+of+its+ demise+were+offered:+metallurgy+poisoned+its+citizens,+the+decadence+and+inbreeding+of+ the+upper+class+destroyed+them,+or+the+lack+of+a+trained+army+left+them+defenseless.+It+is+ generally+agreed+upon+that+the+Empire+became+too+large+to+be+governed+effectively+and+to+ create+ a+ real+ sense+ of+ community.+ Germanic+ warrior+ tribes+ sacked+ a+ weak+ Rome+ and+ demanded+ money+ and+ land+ until+ in+ 537+ AD+ an+ enemy+ tribe+ destroyed+ its+ critical+ aqueducts.+The+destruction+of+the+capital’s+“arteries”+left+Rome+without+running+water,+ quickly+bleeding+the+population+out:+it+dwindled+from+1.2+million+to+12,000+shortly+after.+++

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