After studying this chapter, students should understand and be able to discuss the following:
The meaning of the Pax Romana
How Augustus saved the Roman state
Imperial Rome's major literary eras, including characteristics, leading figures, literary genres, titles and descriptions of works
The principles of Roman Stoicism, its leading advocates, and how they differed from both one another and the Greek originals
The beliefs of Neo-Platonism and its leading exponent
How Roman philosophy reflected Roman values and circumstances
The ideals of Roman law, the most original contribution of Rome
The innovations made by Roman architects
The identifying characteristics of the Roman temple, as seen in the Maison Carrée, Nîmes
The interrelationship between the arts and architecture and Rome's rulers
Achievements in Roman architecture and the arts
The phases of Roman sculpture, along with characteristic examples
The contributions of Roman music
Historic "firsts" of Roman civilization that became part of the Western tradition: the Latin language and its offspring, the Romance languages; Roman law; the development of the humanities as a overarching theme for intellectual pursuit; and the architectural innovations based on the rounded arch, including barrel vaults, groined vaults, and domes
The role of Roman civilization in transmitting the heritage of earlier civilizations: adding to Greek architecture to make the Greco-Roman style and perpetuating Greek ideals and models in the arts, literature, and music
The reasons for the crises in the Late Roman Empire and the various solutions applied by the government
The phases in the rise of Christianity
The controversies within early Christian thought
The ideas and contributions of the church fathers
The central role and importance of St. Augustine in early church history
The impact of the new Christian faith on the visual arts
The various interpretations regarding the collapse of the Roman Empire
Historic "firsts" achieved by late Roman civilization: the beginnings of the Germanic kingdoms, the rise of the first Christian state, Christianity as the official religion of Rome, the literary genre of church history, the first Latin Bible, and the writings of the church fathers
The role of late Roman civilization in transmitting the heritage of earlier times: synthesizing a new civilization from Greco-Roman and Christian elements, fusing Classical values with Christian beliefs in architecture and music, establishing an official church organization, and originating a conception of society in which the Christian church held a pivotal position
