DK findout! Rome - Peter Chrisp

With his left hand, Felix now hurls his net, trying to
catch Memnon’s helmet. He misses, but tangles
HIIFMWIIWIICNNIA!LMNLYCNAMTECTe,mH nwoitnh’shMsihseomtrrtnidosewnn’ostr,sdbh.uiFetelidlti.xbosturnikceess again SPLAT
off

Memnon gets tangled in OUCH!
the net and falls flat on
his back. He raises his finger to show
he surrenders and the fight stops.

There are shouts of “Spare him!” or “Kill Victory!
him!” from the crowd. The final decision
is the emperor’s and he shows his
decision with his hand.

HSIPMA?RE KILL HIM!

GTLRHAEEDTBIIAAETRSOTIIRASR. E

Felix has won the fight, and shouts in triumph.
If he wins enough, he hopes to be able to buy
his freedom with his prize money.
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Racing track Chariot

Welcome to Rome’s main chariot-racing This model chariot is made of metal.
track: the Circus Maximus! Chariot racing To be as fast as possible, real chariots
was an exciting and dangerous sport. were made of light wood. They gave
A chariot was a horse-drawn cart whose no protection to a charioteer if
driver was called a charioteer. Charioteers he crashed.
were grouped into four teams: the Reds,
Whites, Blues, and Greens. Each team had Chariots had
loyal fans, who cheered as the chariots two wheels.
hurtled around the track.

Spectators
There was seating for
250,000 people, five times
more than the Colosseum
could hold. Men and
women sat together.

A

Biggest circus!

Circus Maximus is Latin for “biggest
circus”. It was 621 m (2,037 ft) long
and 118 m (387 ft) wide.
50

The turn G
The most dangerous part
of any chariot race was F
the point where the C
chariots had to turn. They
often crashed into each
other or overturned here.

D

E

G WHAT’S IN THE CIRCUS MAXIMUS?
C
A Carceres Chariots raced out
B of these starting gates at the
beginning of a race.
Arcades
In the long arcades facing B Quadriga Chariot pulled by
the street, there were four horses.
stalls selling snacks and
drinks. Fortune tellers C Lap markers Seven bronze
also set up stalls here. dolphins and seven wooden eggs
were used to mark the laps. After
Track each lap, a dolphin was turned
Chariots raced seven times around and an egg removed.
around the track. The winner
was the first chariot to D Pulvinar Imperial box, where
complete all seven laps. the emperor and his family and
friends sat.

E Egyptian obelisk Four-sided,
pointed pillar, brought to Rome
by Emperor Augustus.

F Spina Barrier down the middle
of the track. It was decorated with
statues and other monuments.

G Metae Three tall posts at either
end of the spina marked the
turning point for the chariots.

51

Answer our quiz to find out which Roman god or goddess you are.

START HERE Do you like fighting? YES Mars
Do you like planets? YES
You‘re Mars, god
of war!

NO NO Jupiter
YES
Do you like You‘re Jupiter, king
owls? NO of the gods!

YES Do you like Neptune
thunderstorms?
Minerva You‘re Neptune, god
NO of the sea!
You‘re Minerva, goddess of
wisdom! Do you like swimming? Mercury

YES You‘re Mercury, god
of merchants!
Do you like music? NO YES
NO Venus
Do you like
money? You‘re Venus, goddess
of love!
NO

YES Gods

Apollo Romans worshipped many gods, whom they
believed watched over every part of life. They
You‘re Apollo, god ranged from great ones, whom they built great
of music! temples for, down to household gods who
guarded the home.
Juno

You‘re Juno, queen
of the gods!

52

Mercury Jupiter Juno

Mercury was Jupiter was king Jupiter‘s wife, Juno, was the
the god of of the gods and goddess of marriage and
merchants, special protector childbirth. Her sacred bird
money, and of the Roman was the peacock. The
travellers. He travelled Empire. He was Roman month of Junius
fast, thanks to his god of the sky (June), was
winged hat and sandals. He and storms, named after
also carried a staff called the and was armed her, and was
caduceus that had two snakes with thunderbolts. thought a
wrapped around it. The eagle lucky time
was his to marry.
Minerva sacred bird.
Neptune
Minerva was the Mars
goddess of crafts Jupiter‘s brother, Neptune, was
and wisdom. She Mars was the the god of the sea and horses.
was born from god of war Armed with a trident (fishing
Jupiter‘s head, and also of spear), he rode in a chariot pulled
complete with farming. After
her armour and Jupiter, he was by fish-tailed horses
weapons. Her the most called hippocamps.
sacred bird was important
the wise owl. Roman god.
The Roman
month Martius
(March) is
named
after him.

! WOW! Apollo Venus

There was a Apollo was the god of light, Venus was the goddess of love
goddess, called healing, music, and prophecy and beauty. Julius Caesar claimed
(telling the future). He played Venus was one of his ancestors.
Cardea, who a musical instrument The month of Aprilis (April) was
looked after door called a lyre, that sacred to her.
Mercury
hinges! invented.

53

Pompeii Mount Vesuvius
today
On 24 August 79ce, Mount Vesuvius, a volcano in
southern Italy, blew up, completely burying the
nearby town of Pompeii. Although it was a terrible
disaster, the town was perfectly preserved by being
buried. This means that we can now explore the
streets, houses, and shops of a Roman town.

The Forum of
Pompeii

Victims of Pompeii collar
Dog with
Apart from buildings, some of the victims
who died at Pompeii almost 2,000 years ago Dog
were discovered. Their bodies were buried This is the cast of a guard dog. You can see
in ash from the eruption, which turned to the outline of its collar, which was made
rock around them. After they had rotted from bronze.
away, plaster was poured into the spaces
they left to create casts.

54

! WOW! Column of Plinian eruption
the temple
Since 79ce, A volcanic eruption with a high cloud
Mount Vesuvius of ash and gas is called “Plinian” after the
Roman writer Pliny who wrote an
has erupted eyewitness account of the disaster.
around
36 times.

The Temple
of Jupiter

nd loaf
Mosaic of Egyptian animals Rou

Mosaic Bread
The houses of Pompeii were richly decorated This loaf of bread was found in a baker’s oven
with wall paintings and mosaics. This mosaic in Herculaneum, Pompeii’s neighbouring town.
shows a hippopotamus and a crocodile. It was preserved by boiling mud.

55

What did the Lost and
Romans give us? found

The Roman Empire fell in the fifth century ce, Concrete, now
following invasions by foreign enemies. But even used everywhere
today, 1,500 years later, Rome still has an influence. in building, was
We still travel along the routes of Roman roads, and invented by the
coins and many buildings are based on Roman ones. Romans. Roman
concrete was
better than any
made today, but
the recipe got lost!

This glass jug GTgtvagolhalallsasemasoessRsssa-t,mohskinameeanwdkfadiernirinrjssnustdw.kgopTsiewne.hrogTseep.hvyeleeexuysptssoeweerdluetsrs,iete ! WOW!
wKeanstf,oEunngdlainnd.
The Romans
even invented

books with
pages!

Bridges

The Romans built some
of the first permanent
bridges. They were made
from stone, brick, and
concrete, and used single
or multiple arches.

This Roman bridge across the
Ouveze river in France is still
in use today, despite being
2,000 years old.

56

Roman writers 12

Although the Roman Empire ended many
years ago, we can still read the writings of
Roman poets like Virgil. Virgil was seen
by the Romans as their greatest poet.

EnHMRMOTmaoouamowmwprrsceeteea1hdrvno2lo,eafvrnnrmfo,eaAtuuJoem-murrunmgelbtJmuydheusooaraltcisnnfunauttdalsseehtn.rAnCshdtudaahgegarceoseruaadgsinrsltsoae,aRdamsnnrouMedemdcdahaaranasfr.s.ter

This mosaic shows Alphabet
Virgil writing the
Aeneid, his most OHwleuoettrwneaerolsvpw.ehTrhah, btaehveyeetwiR2soo6mu,mlaodansnhdtlsaytvhhaeaeRdwyo2ormi3nttalleyenntutiJnseuevrlsdeiuwncstahipoilniet.al
famous poem. as IVLIVS.

Cities A B C D E FRoman alphabet
GHIKLM
SURRAeoKocvrmm,iolPlaaseasnnrisEnic.suitSAaripoensaspdwieinLen,,lycwlaolaunensddlsiRevCioneLomoilFnonergdacinniontenciIeeitans,anCflGyodoeu(rYradnombodrobekavadnienyab).,nytdhtehe NOPQR
STVXYZ

Can you see
which 3 letters
are missing?

57
Answer: J, U, W

Roman facts
and figures

The Romans were a fascinating group of
people. Here are some amazing facts you
might not know about them!

The mythical founder There were people
of Rome, Romulus, in Rome who earned
and his brother, Remus, HAIRY Ttheir living by plucking
were said to have been other people’s hair out,

raised by a wolf.

including their
armpit hair!
RU
TH!

52bce Vercingetorix, Constantine
was the first Christian
a chieftain from Gaul emperor: he didn’t worship
(France), fought a war
against Julius Caesar, but the Roman gods.
lost. He was led in chains
through Rome in Julius
Caesar’s victory procession.

50 400,000
Around 50 of today’s The Romans built 400,000 km
countries were part of (250,000 miles) of roads.
the Roman Empire.

58

ROME WAS RULED BY

400EMPERORS FOR OVER
YEARS.

ROMAN SOLDIERS had to

serve for 25 years in the army. They could
walk up to 30 km (20 miles) a day
wearing heavy armour.

Romans made purple Romans used
dye for clothes from a two-handed
jar called an
SEA SNAIL
SHELLS. AMPHORA

to store all sorts
of goods, such as

olive oil, wine,
and even garum

(fish sauce).

7 Rome was ruled by 117 100
seven kings before Hadrian’s Wall The opening games
it became a republic. was 117 km for the Colosseum
(73 miles) long. lasted for more
than 100 days.

59

Glossary citizen Member of a state,
with more rights than
Here are the meanings of some words that a non-citizen
are useful for you to know when learning civil war War fought
about Ancient Rome. between people who belong
to the same country.

abacus Device with auxillary Member of the dictator Ruler with total
moveable beads, used by Roman army who was not power. Under the republic,
the Romans to count a Roman citizen dictators were appointed in
amphitheatre Big, oval, bulla Amulet worn by times of emergency. But
open-air building used for Roman boys that was Julius Caesar made himself
public shows, especially thought to protect them dictator for life
gladiator fights centurion Roman soldier in dome Large, rounded roof or
amphora Two-handled jar, charge of 80 legionaries ceiling with a circular base
used by the Romans to store emperor Ruler of an empire
food, drinks, and oil
aqueduct Artificial channel chariot Two-wheeled vehicle empire Large area with
used to carry water to a town pulled by horses, used by the different peoples, ruled by a
Romans for racing single government or person

circus Roman racetrack, forum Central market-place
for chariot racing and public meeting area in
every Roman town

freedmen and freedwomen
Former slaves who bought or
were given their freedom

garum Rotten fish sauce,
eaten by the Romans

gladiator Type of fighter
who entertained people by
fighting in an amphitheatre.
Gladiators were usually slaves

Roman
aqueduct

60

insula Roman block of flats republic State ruled by Roman men
Latin Language of elected officials instead of a wore togas.
the Romans king or emperor. The term is
legion Roman army of also used to describe the
around 5,000 citizen soldiers. period, between 509–27bce,
The Roman Empire had when Rome was ruled by
between 25 and 30 of them elected officials
legionary Roman foot Roman Empire Lands
soldier, who was the basic and peoples ruled by the
unit of the Roman army Romans. The term is also
mosaic Picture made of used to describe the period
many tiny pieces of coloured when Rome was ruled by
tile, stone, or glass, pushed emperors rather than by
into cement elected officials
Saturnalia Festival when
masters served their slaves

palla Shawl worn by Senate Roman governing toga Woollen gown worn by
Roman women council, made up of the most Roman male citizens. It was
important Roman nobles. made of a single sheet
Roman women It gave advice to the emperor wrapped around the body
wore a stola slave Someone who is
(dress) and owned by another person
palla (shawl). as property

stola Dress worn by triclinium Roman dining
Roman women room with three couches for
stylus Pointed metal stick guests to lie down on
used to write on a tablet tunic Item of clothing worn
summa rudis Referee in a by all Romans, made from
gladiator fight two squares of material
sewn together

tablet Wooden frame filled wreath Crown of leaves,
with wax, used by children to sometimes worn by
practise writing Roman emperors

61

Index

A centurions 15, 16, 17 food 30–33
chariot racing 50–51 Forum (Rome) 41
abacuses 25 children 24–25 freedmen/freedwomen 6, 23
actors 18 Christianity 58 frigidarium 28, 29
alphabet 56, 57 Circus Maximus (Rome) 40, 41, furnaces 28
amphitheatres 44–45
amphora 59 50–51 G
animals 44, 45, 47 cities 57
apodyterium 28, 29 citizens 6, 27 Gallia (Gaul) 8, 10, 58
Apollo 52, 53 Claudius, Emperor 8, 41 games 44–45, 49
aqueducts 18, 41, 42 clothing 5, 26–27, 33 garum 31, 59
archaeology 54 cohorts 15 gladiators 41, 44–49
arches 42, 56 coins 5, 10, 56 glass 33, 56
arenas 44–45, 48–49 Colosseum (Rome) 41, 44–45, gods and goddesses 5, 52–53
armour Graecia (Greece) 9
59 Great Fire of Rome 12
gladiators 46–47 colours greaves 17
soldiers 16–17, 59 Greeks, ancient 9, 35
army 14–15, 59 clothing 26
Augustus, Emperor 7, 9, 12, 26, purple dye 59 H
57 togas 7
auxiliaries 14 columns 43 Hadrian, Emperor 13, 27
concrete 56 Hadrian’s Wall 13, 42, 59
B Constantine, Emperor 58 helmets 16, 17
couches 32, 33 herbs 34
baths 28–29 Herculaneum 42, 55
beards 27 D hoplomachus 47
bread 18, 31, 55 household gods 52
bridges 42, 56 doctors 19, 34, 35 hypocaust 28
Britannia (Britain) 8, 10 domes 43
buildings 42–43, 56 dormice 31 I
bulla 24
E ink 25
C instruments, medical 34, 35
education 24, 25 insulae 42
Caesar, Julius 8, 10–11, 12, 57 emperors 7, 12–13, 49, 51, 59 Italia (Italy) 8
caldarium 28 engineers 18
calendar 11, 56, 57 J
Capitoline Hill 41 F
Cardea 53 jewellery 26
Carthaginian Empire 8 family life 24 Juno 52, 53
centuries 15 farmers 19 Jupiter 52, 53
fights, gladiator 44–5, 47, 48–9
folding tools 20, 21

62

K Pertinax, Emperor 6 strigils 20, 21
Pliny 55 stylus 19
kings 4, 5, 59 poets 57 summa rudis 48
knucklebones 25 Pompeii 32–33, 37, 54–55 surgery 34
Pompey 10 swords 16
L Pont du Gard (France) 42
population 5, 40 T
language 36–37 provocator 46
Latin 36–37, 56 pulvinar 51 teachers 19
legionaries 8, 14–16 purple dye 7, 26, 59 temples 40, 41, 43, 52, 55
legions 14, 15 tepidarium 28
R testudo 14
M theatre 18
Remus 5, 58 thraex 47
Mars 52, 53 Republic 4, 9, 59 togas 6, 7, 27
medals 17 retiarius 46, 48–49 toilets 20, 21
medicine 34–35 roads 43, 56, 58 towns, Roman 54–55
Mediterranean sea 8 Roman Empire 4, 5, 8–9 toys 24
Mercury 52, 53 Trajan, Emperor 4, 9, 13
Minerva 52, 53 length of 59 Trajan’s Column (Rome) 43
mosaics 37, 55, 57 size of 5, 8, 9, 58 triclinium 33
Mount Vesuvius 54, 55 Romans tunics 6, 26, 27
murmillo 46, 48–49 facts and figures 58–59
legacy of 56–57 V
N who were the Romans? 4–5
Rome, City of 4, 40–41 Venus 52, 53
natatio 28 Romulus 5, 58 Vercingetorix 58
Neptune 52, 53 Via Appia Antica (Rome) 43
Nero, Emperor 12 S Virgil 57
Neva, Emperor 13 volcanic eruption 54–55
numbers 38–9 sandals 16, 27
Saturnalia 23 W
O schools 24, 25
sea snails 59 wax tablets 25
olive oil 31, 59 secutor 47 weapons 16–17
olives 31 Senate 10
oysters 31 shields 14, 16 gladiators 46–47
slaves 6, 22–23 wine 32, 33, 59
P women
as gladiators 46
packs 17 society 6–7 at Colosseum 45
palaces 40, 41 soldiers 16–17, 59 clothing 26
palaestra 28 sponge sticks 20, 21 gladiators 47
Palatine Hill (Rome) 40, 41 standard bearers 15 wreaths, head 7, 33
pallas 6, 26 sticks 17 writing 25
papyrus 25 stolas 6, 26
Parthian Empire 9, 11
pens 25

63

Acknowledgements

The publisher would like to thank the following people for their assistance: Cecile Landau and Ruth
O’Rourke for editorial assistance, Alexandra Beeden for proofreading, Helen Peters for compiling the
index, Rob Nunn for picture research, Lol Johnson for photography, Sachin Singh for cutouts, and
Daniel Long, Dan Crisp, and Ed Merritt for illustrations. The publishers would also like to thank the
Roman and Barbarian warriors from Britannia (www.durolitum.co.uk) and the Gallic chieftan and
auxilliary soldier from Portals to the Past (www.portalstothepast.co.uk).

The publisher would like to thank the Images: Milleflore Images - Food and Schonnop (pont du gard); Vivienne Sharp /
following for their kind permission to Tableware Misc (fcr); Bruce Miller (bl). Dorling Imagestate Media Partners Limited - Impact
reproduce their photographs: Kindersley: Thackeray Medical Museum (tr, Photos (temple of bacchus); Claude Thibault
cra, cr). 36-37 Alamy Images: Lebrecht Music (tower of hercules). Corbis: Marco Cristofori
(Key: a-above; b-below/bottom; c-centre; and Arts Photo Library. 37 Alamy Images: (diocletian’s palace).
f-far; l-left; r-right; t-top) Gianni Dagli Orti / The Art Archive (cra). 38
Alamy Images: Art Nation (br). 39 Alamy Cover images: Front: Corbis: Araldo de Luca
2 Rex Shutterstock: De Agostini / A. Dagli Images: geogphotos (br). 40-41 Alamy cl; Dorling Kindersley: The University of
Orti (br). 3 Alamy Images: A. Astes (bl). Images: Lautaro. 42 Alamy Images: Granger, Aberdeen fcra; Getty Images: Danita
Dorling Kindersley: Thackeray Medical NYC (cb); Prisma Archivo (c); Stephen Dorey Delimont / Gallo Images cr; Back: Dorling
Museum (bc); The University of Aberdeen (tr). Creative (clb). Dorling Kindersley: Tim Draper Kindersley: Ermine Street Guard cla, cr; Rex
4-5 Alamy Images: Fine Art Images / Heritage / Rough Guides (cl). 42-43 Getty Images: DEA by Shutterstock: De Agostini / A. Dagli Orti tr;
Image Partnership Ltd. 11 Alamy Images: A. / S. Vannini / De Agostini (b). 43 Alamy Front Flap: Alamy Images: Collection Dagli
Astes (l). Dorling Kindersley: Ermine Street Images: Reinhard Dirscherl (cl, cla); Orti / The Art Archive br; Dorling Kindersley:
Guard (br). 12 Alamy Images: Lanmas (cra). imageBROKER (cr). 46-47 Alamy Images: Natural History Museum, London cr, Thackeray
Dorling Kindersley: Capitoline Museum, Aliaksei Verasovich. 52 Dorling Kindersley: Medical Museum fcla; Photoshot: UPPA cra/
Rome (Musei Capitolini) (cl). 13 Alamy Ermine Street Guard (tc). 54 Alamy Images: (inside); Back Flap: NASA: clb;
Images: Masterpics (tr). 14-15 Alamy Walter Rawlings / robertharding (br). 54-55
Images: EmmePi Travel. 17 Dorling Alamy Images: Vaclav Schindler. 55 Alamy All other images © Dorling Kindersley
Kindersley: Ermine Street Guard (br). 18 Images: funkyfood London - Paul Williams For further information see:
Alamy Images: Michele Falzone (bl). Dorling (bl). Corbis: Gary Braasch (tr). Dorling www.dkimages.com
Kindersley: Christi Graham and Nick Nicholls Kindersley: Museo Archeologico Nazionale di
/ The Trustees of the British Museum (ftr, ca). Napoli (br). 56 Alamy Images: David A. Barnes About the author
Rex Shutterstock: De Agostini / A. Dagli Orti (bl). Dorling Kindersley: Canterbury City
(cl). 19 Dorling Kindersley: Odds Farm Park, Council, Museums and Galleries (cl). 57 Alamy Peter Chrisp is an experienced
High Wycombe, Bucks (clb); Thackeray Medical Images: Sergey Borisov (clb). Corbis: Roger author, who has published
Museum (cr). Getty Images: Danita Delimont Wood (cla). 58 Dorling Kindersley: Thackeray more than 80 books on history
/ Gallo Images (c). 20 Dorling Kindersley: Medical Museum (ca); Jerry Young (fcl). for young readers. His special
Christi Graham and Nick Nicholls / The Dreamstime.com: Vladimir Korostyshevskiy / interest is in the Ancient
Trustees of the British Museum (tl, ca). 21 v0v (cr). Getty Images: De Agostini / L. World, and he is the author
Corbis: Wolfgang Kaehler (b). 22 Photoshot: Romano / De Agostini Picture Library (br). 59 of a number of Dorling
UPPA (br). 24 Alamy Images: Collection Dagli Dorling Kindersley: The University of Kindersley books, including
Orti / The Art Archive (tl). Bridgeman Images: Aberdeen (tc). Endpapers: Front: Alamy Ancient Rome Revealed, Ancient
Tarker (cr). Dorling Kindersley: Maidstone Images: funkyfood London - Paul Williams Greece Revealed, E. Explore:
Museum and Bentliff Art Gallery (c). 25 Alamy (trajan); Massimiliano Pieraccini (constatine). Ancient Rome, E. Explore: Ancient
Images: Lanmas (tr); World History Archive (tl). Dorling Kindersley: The Trustees of the Greece, and Alexander the Great:
Dorling Kindersley: Tim Parmenter / The British Museum (coin); Tim Draper / Rough Legend of a Warrior King.
Trustees of the British Museum (cl); The Guides (wall). Back: Alamy Images: Ian Bottle
Science Museum, London (cla). Getty Images: (hadrian's wall); Martin Garnham (rotunda of
DEA Picture Library / De Agostini Picture galerius); Amar and Isabelle Guillen - Guillen
Library (br); DEA / G. Dagli Orti / De Agostini Photo LLC (kom el-dikka); Andrey Nekrasov
Picture Library (fcl). 29 Alamy Images: Peter (amphitheatre of thysdrus); OlegMit (pompeii);
Phipp / Travelshots.com (cra). 32-33 Corbis: Stefano Politi Markovina (library of celsus);
Alessandra Benedetti. 34 Dorling Kindersley: Premier (leptis magna); Michael Runkel /
Thackeray Medical Museum (br, fbr). 35 Alamy imageBROKER (ruins of djemila); Juergen

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