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THE ROMAN MEMBERS: TAN WING HOE (L) TOH KEAN HOU LUM SI CHU TAN KAH JUN ALAN KOO KA LOK LEE PUI SAN BEH NIANZI SAW HWEI YING JOYCE WEE YI QIN

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THE ROMAN EMPIRE MEMBERS:

TAN WING HOE (L)

TOH KEAN HOU

LUM SI CHU

TAN KAH JUN

ALAN KOO KA LOK

LEE PUI SAN

BEH NIANZI

SAW HWEI YING

JOYCE WEE YI QIN

Contents

Assignment Brief

Research

i. Movies and Characters“Julius Caesar”“Gladiator”

ii. Cultures and Traditions“Dies Lustricus”“Poena Cullei“Traditional clothing”

iii. Myths“Aenas”“Romulus and Remus”

iv. Social Stratav. Architecture vi. Summary

Sketch

i. Plot Summaryii. Scriptiii. Key Frames

Costumes

i. Idea drawingsii. Actual Costume

Reference

Research

i. Movies and Characters

“Julius Caesar”

Julius Caesar is a remake of the William Shakespeare classic tale of the betrayal of the Roman senate against their emperor, the plotting and scheming that led up to the assassination of the title character, and all of Rome’s' fickleness towards the events. It contains very detailed scenes on plotting the assassination of Julius Caesar, which is one of the important events in the rise of the Roman Empire.

Who was involved in the assassination?

The assassination involved 60+ senators, including Servillius Casca, Cassius Longinus and Marcus Brutus.

Why did it happen?

Caesar's reforms greatly enhanced his standing with Rome's lower- and middle-class populations. But his popularity with the Senate was another matter. Envy and concern over Caesar's increasing power led to angst among a number of politicians who saw in him an aspiring king. History had shown that Romans had no desire for

monarchical rule. Legend had it that by the time Caesar came to power it had been five centuries since they'd last allowed a king to rule them.

How did it happen?

Julius’ friends tried to stop him from attending the senatorial meeting His wife, Calpurnia, especially, who was frightened by some visions in her dreams, clung to him and said that she would not let him go out that day. But Brutus, one of the conspirators who were then thought of as a firm friend, persuaded him to ignore the apprehensions.

In the Senate hall, Julius Caesar was surrounded by the conspirators. The chaos started when Tillius Cimber grabbed Julius’ toga. Servillius Casca made the first stab but missed the other conspirators then started stabbing him using daggers. There was a total of 32 wounds all over his body with 1 fatal wound on his chest.

What happened after his death?

Two years after his death, he became the first Roman figure to be deified. The senate also gave him the title "The Divine Julius".

After his death, his great-grand nephew, Gaius Octavian (later known as Augustus Caesar), assembled an army to fight back the military troops defending Cassius and Brutus

Movie: “Gladiator”

Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Before his death, the Emperor chooses Maximus to be his heir over his own son, Commodus, and a power struggle leaves Maximus and his family condemned to death. The powerful general is unable to save his family, and his loss of will allows him to get captured and put into the Gladiator games until he dies. The only desire that fuels him now is the chance to rise to the top so that he will be able to look into the eyes of the man who will feel his revenge.

What was Maximus really like?

Maximus Decimus Meridius is a fictitious character!

Although he did not exist, he seems to be a composite of actual historical figures. In the film, Maximus was Marcus Aurelius' general. There was in fact a general by the name of Avidius Cassius, who was involved in the military campaign shown in the film, and, upon hearing a rumor of Marcus Aurelius' death, declared himself emperor. He

however, was assassinated by his own soldiers. It is true that there was, in the later Empire, a General by the name of Maximus who appears to have had revolutionary intentions. He is most likely an inspiration as well.

Maximus also reminds one of the emperor Diocletian. Remember that in the film, Marcus Aurelius names Maximus as his heir. Diocletian, who ruled Rome from 284 to 305 CE, was born in the lower classes, like Maximus. He eventually became his emperor's trusted favourite and bodyguard, and later became a general. Finally he was named heir, and thus became emperor.

Commodus, in reality, was not murdered in the arena by Maximus. He was however murdered by a wrestler. So the character Maximus, while fictitious, is not that far-fetched. He appears to be collage of other, real, historical figures.

As for his personality, he was definitely a stoic, as evidenced by his sense of obligation to the state, and concern for duty and virtue. This makes sense, given his admiration for Marcus Aurelius, who was a stoic philosopher. One difficulty is, even though many Romans (and not just Christians) believed in an afterlife, stoics usually did not. So this is problematic with regards to his character in the film.

Gladiatorial Oath

In the sacramentum gladiatorium 'oath of the gladiator' the potential gladiator, slave or hitherto free man, said "I will endure to be burned, to be bound, to be beaten, and to be killed by the sword" uri, vinciri, verberari, ferroque necari. This oath bound him so that he was no longer truly free.

10 Facts about Gladiators

1. They weren’t always slaves2. Gladiatorial bouts were originally part of funeral ceremonies3. They didn’t always fight to the death4. The famous ‘thumbs down’ gesture probably didn’t mean death.5. They were organized into different classes and types.6. They rarely fought against animals.7. Women also fought as gladiators.8. Some gladiators organized themselves into trade unions.9. Several Roman emperors participated in staged gladiatorial bouts10. Gladiators often became celebrities and sex symbols.

**Many Roman gladiators were a little on the husky side. Fighters trained their bodies to the limit, but their carbohydrate-rich diet of barley porridge often saw them pack on fat around their midsection. This extra flab had a practical purpose, since it helped absorb superficial wounds and protected the gladiator’s vital organs from injury**

Important characters involved.

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar was born in Rome on 12 or 13 July 100 BC into the prestigious Julian clan. His family were closely connected with the Marian faction in Roman politics. Caesar himself progressed within the Roman political system, becoming in succession quaestor (69), aedile (65) and praetor (62). In 61-60 BC he served as governor of the Roman province of Spain. Back in Rome in 60, Caesar made a pact with Pompey and Crassus, who helped him to get elected as consul for 59 BC. The following year he was appointed governor of Roman Gaul where he stayed for eight years, adding the whole of modern France and Belgium to the Roman empire, and making Rome safe from the possibility of Gallic invasions. He made two expeditions to Britain, in 55 BC and 54 BC.

Caesar then returned to Italy, disregarding the authority of the senate and famously crossing the Rubicon river without disbanding his army. In the ensuing civil war Caesar defeated the republican forces. Pompey, their leader, fled to Egypt where he was assassinated. Caesar followed him and became romantically involved with the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra.

Caesar was now master of Rome and made himself consul and dictator. He used his power to carry out much-needed reform, relieving debt, enlarging the senate, building the Forum Iulium and revising the calendar. Dictatorship was always regarded a temporary position but in 44 BC, Caesar took it for life. His success and ambition alienated strongly republican senators. A group of 60, led by Cassius and Brutus, assassinated Caesar on the Ides (15) of March 44 BC. This sparked the final round of civil wars that ended the Republic and brought about the elevation of Caesar's great nephew and designated heir, Octavian, as Augustus, the first emperor.

Calpurnia

Calpurnia married Caesar in late 59 BC. Contemporary sources describe her as a humble, often shy woman. No children resulted from their union. Julia, Caesar's daughter by his first wife, Cornelia, was likely older than her stepmother, and married Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus around the same time. Following Caesar's death in 44 BC, Calpurnia delivered all Caesar's personal papers, including his will and notes, and his most precious possessions to the consul Marcus Antonius, one of Caesar's most trusted allies. She never remarried.

According to a tradition reported in some ancient sources, Calpurnia had a premonition about her husband's murder, and endeavoured in vain to warn him. Unaware that he was one of the conspirators against her husband, she also asked the praetor Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus to send word to the senate that Caesar was ill and unable to attend. However, Caesar rejected this plan, and Brutus escorted him into the hands of his enemies.

Marcus Brutus

Marcus Junius Brutus, also called Quintus Caepio Brutus (born 85 B.C.—died 42 B.C., near Philippi, Macedonia), Roman politician, one of the leaders in the conspiracy that assassinated Julius Caesar in 44 bc. Brutus was the son of Marcus Junius Brutus (who was treacherously killed by Pompey the Great in 77) and Servilia (who later became Caesar’s lover). After his adoption by an uncle, Quintus Servilius Caepio, he was commonly called Quintus Caepio Brutus.

Porcia

Porcia was the daughter of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis and his first wife Atilia. She is best known for being the second wife of Marcus Junius Brutus, the most famous of Julius Caesar's assassins, and for her suicide, reputedly by swallowing live coals.

Cassius

Gaius Cassius Longinus (before 85 BC – October 42 BC) was a Roman senator, a leading instigator of the plot to kill Julius Caesar,[1] and the brother in-law of Marcus Junius Brutus.

Casca

Publius Servilius Casca Longus, Roman tribune in 43 B.C., is the name of the assassin who first struck Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, in 44 B.C. The symbol to strike came when Lucius Tilius Cimber grabbed Caesar's toga and pulled it from his neck. A nervous Casca then stabbed the dictator, but only managed to graze him around the neck or shoulder.

Marc Anthony

Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) was born in Rome in 83 B.C. He was related on his mother's side to Julius Caesar. He was from a prominent noble family and served under Caesar in Gaul (53-50 B.C.). He was a main rival of Octavian, Caesar’s adopted son and legal heir. He was reluctant to pass on Caesar’s legacy to a 17 y-o.

Soon after, Antony formed a second Triumvirate with Octavian and Lepidus to jointly rule the territories. Antony was given charge on the east and that was which he started a romantic affair with Cleopatra. Antony ended his own life when he was told that Cleopatra was dead, both of them ended up with a suicidal death.

Augustus Caesar

Augustus Caesar of Rome was born with the given name Gaius Octavius on September 23, 63 B.C. He took the name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian) in 44 B.C. after the murder of his great uncle, Julius Caesar. In his will Caesar had adopted Octavian and made him his heir.

Octavian was a shrewd, brilliant and astute politician. Through cold, hard political calculation he was able to achieve ultimate power in Rome. At the time of Caesar’s assassination, Octavian held no official position. Only after he marched on Rome and forced the senate to name him consul, was he established as a power to be reckoned with.

Research

ii. Traditions and cultures

Dies Lustricus (Day of Purification)

Dies Lustricus is a ceremony on the eighth or ninth day after the birth of a newborn. It carries a special meaning for the newborn. Back then, a large percentage of children didn’t make it past one week due to the healthcare and technology. Thus, a child is not officially part of the family until dies lustricus passed. It is a norm that babies that dies within the week is buried without a name.

On the dies lustricus, relatives, friends, and even slaves offered small metal and clay charms that were strung together and worn around the neck. These playthings, collectively known as crepundia, entertained the baby with their rattling and jingling and warded off evil spirits lurking near the child. Furthermore on this day, the child was exposed to a succession of ritual dangers designed to demonstrate the child’s fitness for acceptance into a Roman family. And finally, the dies lustricus marked the occasion on which an infant received his bulla and name.

What is a crepundia?Tiny metal trinkets strung around the baby’s neck like a rattle presented as gifts by the guests at the lustratio.

What is a bulla?A bulla is a metallic locket with charms to ward off evil spirits from the newborn. It is a good luck charm that is worn by children throughout their childhood. The children’s names are often carved on their bulla.

[1] [2] [3]

[1] crepundia; [2] bulla; [3] Dies Lustricus

Poena Cullei (Punishment of the Sack)

Poena Cullei is a Roman capital punishment imposed for parricide: the culprit was drowned in a leather sack together with a cock, a dog, a serpent, and a monkey

What is parricide?

The act of killing one's father (patricide), or less usually mother (matricide) or other close relative, but usually not children (infanticide).

The act of killing a person (such as the ruler of one's country) who stands in a relationship resembling that of a father.

How was Poena Cullei practiced?

The guilty one’s head muffled in a wolf-skin, his feet thrust into wooden shoes. He is whipped until bleeding profusely, tied up in a sack with a dog, a cock, a viper and a monkey, dragged by black oxen to a body of water and thrown there to drown. Or let wild animals tear him apart. Or burn him.

Traditional Clothing

Men

Roman men generally wore two garments, the tunica and the toga.

Tunica is a short woolen under garment with short sleeves. Tunics are worn by the people when they’re within the comforts of their homes. The tunic worn by patrician men was made by white wool while the poor wears whatever fabric was readily available.

Similar to the toga, distinct tunics were worn to signify one’s title. The length of the garment, the presence or lack of stripes, as well as their width and ornamentation, would indicate the wearer's status in Roman society. In addition, a belt would be

worn around the waist of the tunica to hold the waist of the garment snug, giving the impression of a two piece garment

Toga is a distinct Roman garment that only actual citizens are allowed to wear. Its distinct purpose was to indicate peaceful endeavors, as opposed to the sagum cloak, worn during times of war. The toga is a large cumbersome robe like garment of white wool and used up to 9 yards of material.

Being such a bulky and uncomfortable article of clothing, it became customary in later times to wear it only on state occasions. All togas are not the same and each distinctive type could mark a Roman’s societal status or title.

Women

The stola was a dress worn over the tunic by Roman matrons (married women). It came as low as the ankles or feet and was fastened round the body by a girdle with broad folds above the breast. The essential distinction between the tunic and the stola seems to have been that the latter always had an Instita or flounce sewed to the bottom and reaching to the instep. The stola seems to have been usually fastened over the shoulder by a Fibula or clasp, and generally had sleeves.

Palla is a traditional ancient Roman mantle worn by women, fastened by brooches. It was similar to the pallium that a man would wear. The shape was rectangular instead of semi-circular as with the traditional toga. The Palla was similar to a shawl that a woman of today would wear. The palla would come in many colors some including blue, green, and yellow.

The palla is a single piece of material draped over the shoulders and around the body or over the head as well.

How to wear a toga (men)?

How to wear a toga (women)?

Thumb Signal

The Latin phrase pollice verso is used in the context of gladiatorial combat for a hand gesture used by Ancient Roman crowds to pass judgment on a defeated gladiator. However, the precise type of gesture described by the phrase pollice verso and its meaning are unclear in the historical and literary record.

In modern popular culture, it is assumed that "thumbs down" was the signal that a defeated gladiator should be condemned to death; "thumbs up", that he should be spared. The latter view was popularized by a widely

reproduced painting by the 19th-century artist Jean-Léon Gérôme, whose Pollice Verso (usually known in English as "Thumbs Down") depicts a triumphant gladiator looking up into the stands for the verdict of the crowd.

Bathing Culture

Of all the leisure activities, bathing was surely the most important for the greatest number of Romans, since it was part of the daily regimen for men of all classes, and many women as well. We think of bathing as a very private activity conducted in the home, but bathing in Rome was a communal activity, conducted for the most part in public facilities that in some ways resembled modern spas or health clubs.

Although wealthy Romans might set up a bath in their town houses or especially in their country villas, heating a series of rooms or even a separate building especially for this purpose, even they often frequented the numerous public bathhouses in the cities and towns throughout the empire. Small bathhouses, called balneae, might be privately owned, but they were public in the sense that they were open to the populace for a fee, which was usually quite reasonable. The large baths, called thermae, were owned by the state and often covered several city blocks. Fees for both types of baths were quite reasonable, within the budget of most free Roman males. Since the Roman workday began at sunrise, work was usually over at little after noon. About 2:00-3:00 pm, men would go to the baths and plan to stay for several hours of sport, bathing, and conversation, after which they would be ready for a relaxing dinner. Republican bathhouses often had separate bathing facilities for women and men, but by the empire the custom was to open the bathhouses to women during the early part of the day and reserve it for men from 2:00 pm until closing time (usually sundown, though we occasionally hear of a bath being used at night). For example, one contract for the management of a provincial bath specified that the facility would be open to women from daybreak until about noon, and to men from about 2:00 pm until sunset; although the women got the less desirable hours, their fee was twice as high as the men's, 1 as (a copper coin) for a woman and ½ as for a man. Mixed bathing was generally frowned upon, although the fact that various emperors repeatedly forbade it seems to indicate that the prohibitions did not always work. Certainly women who were concerned about their respectability did not frequent the baths when the men were there, but of course the baths were an excellent place for prostitutes to ply their trade.

Research

iii. Myths

Aeneas

The national epic of Rome, the Aeneid of Virgil, tells the story of how the Trojan prince Aeneas came to Italy. The Aeneid was written under Augustus, who claimed ancestry through Julius Caesar from the hero and his mother Venus.

According to the Aeneid, the survivors from the fallen city of Troy banded together under Aeneas, underwent a series of adventures around the Mediterranean Sea, including a stop at newly founded Carthage under the rule of Queen Dido, and eventually reached the Italian coast.

The Trojans were thought to have landed in an area between modern Anzio and Fiumicino, southwest of Rome: probably at Laurentum, or in other versions, at Lavinium, a place named for Lavinia, the daughter of King Latinus, whom Aeneas married.

Through a series of armed conflicts, the Trojans won the right to stay and to assimilate with the local peoples. The young son of Aeneas, Ascanius, also known as Iulus, went on to found Alba Longa and the line of Alban kings who filled the chronological gap between the Trojan saga and the traditional founding of Rome in the 8th century BC.

Toward the end of this line, King Procas was the father of Numitor and Amulius. At Procas' death, Numitor became king of Alba Longa, but Amulius captured him and sent him to prison; he also forced the daughter of Numitor, Rhea Silvia, to become a virgin priestess among the Vestals. For many years Amulius was then the king. The tortuous nature of the chronology is indicated by Rhea Silvia's ordination among the Vestals, whose order was traditionally said to have been founded by the successor of Romulus, Numa Pompilius

Romulus and Remus

The icon of Rome's foundation, a life-size bronze statue of a she-wolf with two human infants suckling her, is about 1,700 years younger than its city, Rome's officials admitted on Saturday. The official announcement, made at the Capitoline Museums, where the 30 inch-high bronze is the centerpiece of a dedicated room, quashes the belief that the sculpture was adopted by the earliest Romans as a symbol for their city.

Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome. Traditionally, they were the sons of Rhea Silvia, daughter of Numitor, king of Alba Longa.

Numitor had been deposed by his younger brother Amulius, who forced Rhea to become one of the Vestal Virgins (and thereby vow chastity) in order to prevent her from giving birth to potential claimants to the throne. Nevertheless, Rhea bore the twins Romulus and Remus, fathered by the war god Mars. Amulius ordered the infants drowned in the Tiber River, but the trough in which they were placed floated down the river and came to rest at the site of the future Rome, near the Ficus ruminalis, a sacred fig tree of historical times. There a she-wolf

and a woodpecker—both sacred to Mars—suckled and fed them until they were found by the herdsman Faustulus.

Reared by Faustulus and his wife, Acca Larentia, the twins became leaders of a band of adventurous youths, eventually killing Amulius and restoring their grandfather to the throne. They subsequently founded a town on the site where they had been saved. When Romulus built a city wall, Remus jumped over it and was killed by his brother.

Romulus consolidated his power, and the city was named for him. He increased its population by offering asylum to fugitives and exiles. He invited the neighboring Sabines to a festival and abducted their women. The women married their captors and intervened to prevent the Sabines from seizing the city. In accordance with a treaty drawn up between the two peoples, Romulus accepted the Sabine king Titus Tatius as his coruler. Titus Tatius’s early death left Romulus sole king again, and after a long rule he mysteriously disappeared in a storm. Believing that he had been changed into a god, the Romans worshiped him as the deity Quirinus.

Research

iv. Social strataKingThe king was the head of the people, chief priest, leader in war, and the judge whose sentence couldn't be appealed. He convened the Senate. He was accompanied by 12 lictors who carried a bundle of rods with a symbolic death-wielding axe in the center of the bundle (the fasces). However much

power the king had, he could be kicked out. After the expulsion of the last of the Tarquin kings, the 7 kings of Rome were remembered with such hatred that there were never again kings in Rome.

PatricianThe patricians were the upper class of Rome. Two Latin terms are used to designate them, patres and patricii. Where exactly they come from is not known, but many people have theorized about it and repeated what traditions claim. Here you'll read about a few of these ideas.Patricians may have originally been relatives of the patres 'fathers', the heads of the families of the old tribes of Rome. Patres could refer to members of the senate, since during the Republic, the senators were referred to as patres et conscripti 'conscript (and) fathers,' whether or not they were patricians.On the other hand, Patres sometimes referred not to the senate but to patricians.Staveley says that traditionalists have no sense of confusion. "For them the original Senate of Romulus, which derived its collective title patres from the fact of its being an assembly of patres familiae, was itself all-patrician." The plebeian element of the Senate was found in the conscripti, as distinct from the patres. Patres et conscripti may have later been used to distinguish the senators created in the regal period from ones added later or it may have distinguished hereditary senators from non-hereditary ones in the Regal period. However, the term patricii also designates the hereditary senators.

EquestrianEquites were Roman horsemen or knights. The name is derived from the Latin for horse, equus. The equites came to be a social class. A single member of the equestrian class was called an eques.An eques was bound to a certain number of campaigns, but no more than ten. Upon completion they entered the first class.

When an eques was deemed unworthy, he was told to sell his horse (vende equum). When no disgrace was involved, someone no longer fit would be told to lead his horse on. There was a waiting list to replace the dismissed eques.

PlebeianThe term plebeian is synonymous with lower class. In early Rome, the plebeians (also known simply as plebs) may have been that part of the Roman population whose origin was among the conquered Latins (as opposed to the Roman conquerors). Plebeians were contrasted with the patrician nobility. In the period of the early Roman Republic, membership in the Senate may have been denied to the plebeians, and restricted to the patricians. Since the ruling body of the Senate was more interested in itself than others, the plebeians suffered. Over time the plebeians were able to amass wealth and great power. By the time of Caesar, the patrician Claudius chose to become a plebeian (something he could do through adoption) in order to hold an important political office, the Tribune of the Plebs.

ProletariatIn contrast with the plebeians, who started as the poor, but wound up with power and money, and the noble patricians, who started out with land and continued to hold certain aristocratic privileges, the landless proletariat was the lowest class of citizens in ancient Rome. It was for the proletariat that the Romans instituted the dole that we commonly hear called "bread and circuses." By bread and circuses is meant public entertainment in the arena (circuses) and a ration of grain (bread). The first part of the word proletariat contains the Latin word proles, which means offspring. The proletariats were "producers of offspring."

FreemanRome differed from Greek city-states in allowing freed slaves to become citizens. The act of freeing a slave was called manumissio, from manus, "hand" (in the sense of holding or possessing something), and missio, the act of releasing. After manumission, a slave who had belonged to a Roman citizen enjoyed not only passive freedom from ownership, but active political freedom (libertas), including the right to vote.[1] A slave who had acquired libertas was thus a libertus ("freed person," feminine liberta) in relation to his former master, who then became his patron (patronus).

SlavesThey were people who were frequently captured in battle and sent back to Rome to be sold. However, abandoned children could also be brought up as slaves. The law also stated that fathers could sell their older children if they were in need of money.Once bought, a slave was a slave for life. A slave could only get their freedom if they were given it by their owner or if they bought their freedom. To buy your freedom, you had to raise the same sum of money that your master had paid for you – a virtually impossible task.

If a slave is married and had children, the children would automatically become slaves. Young children were sometimes killed by their parents rather than let them become slaves.

A slave’s day began at daybreak. If his master lived in a cold climate, the first job of the day for a day would be to fire up the hypocaust. When his master awoke, a slave would be expected to assist dressing him. When the day properly began, a whole group of slaves started set tasks, such as walking children to school, cleaning a villa, washing clothes, tidying a garden etc. A group of slaves would work in a kitchen

preparing the day’s meals. When a rich man and his family bathed at home, slaves would help out by drying them once they had finished and dressing them. When a master moved around, slaves would carry him in a litter. When a master entertained, slaves would ensure a constant supply of food and drink. If guests had to return home and it was dark, a slave or slaves would walk ahead of them with a lighted torch.

Research

v. ArchitectureOne of the things the Romans are most famous for is their architecture. The Romans brought a lot of new ideas to architecture, of which the three most important are the arch, the baked brick, and the use of cement and concrete.

Bath house

Baths for bathing and relaxing were a common feature of Roman cities throughout the empire. The often huge bath complexes included a wide diversity of rooms offering different temperatures and facilities such as swimming pools and places to read, relax, and socialise. Roman baths, with their need for large open spaces, were also important drivers in the evolution of architecture offering the first dome structures in Classical architecture.

Typical elements of a roman bath

Apodyterium: Changing rooms. Palaestrae: Exercise rooms. Notatio: Open-air swimming pool. Laconica and sudatoria: Superheated dry and wet sweating-rooms. Calidarium: Hot room, heated and with a hot-water pool and a separate basin on a

stand (labrum) Tepidarium: Warm room, indirectly heated and with a tepid pool. Frigidarium: Cool room, unheated and with a cold-water basin, often monumental in

size and domed, it was the heart of the baths complex. Rooms for massage and other health treatments.

**Additional facilities could include cold-water plunge baths, private baths, toilets, libraries, lecture halls, fountains, and outdoor gardens.

Heating System

The first baths seem to have lacked a high degree of planning and were often unsightly assemblages of diverse structures. However, by the 1st century CE the baths became beautifully symmetrical and harmonious structures, often set in gardens and parks. Early baths were heated using braziers, but from the 1st century BCE more sophisticated heating systems were used such as under-floor (hypocaust) heating fuelled by wood-burning

furnaces (prafurniae). This was not a new idea as Greek baths also employed such a system

but, as was typical of the Romans, they took an idea and improved upon it for maximum efficiency. The huge fires from the furnaces sent warm air under the raised floor (suspensurae) which stood on narrow pillars (pilae) of solid stone, hollow cylinders, or polygonal or circular bricks. The floors were paved over with 60 cm square tiles (bipedales) which were then covered in decorative mosaics.

Walls could also provide heating with the insertion of hollow rectangular tubes (tubuli) which carried the hot air provided by the furnaces. In addition, special bricks (tegulae mammatae) had bosses at the corners of one side which trapped hot air and increased insulation against heat loss. The use of glass for windows from the 1st century CE also permitted a better regulation of temperatures and allowed the sun to add its own heat to the room.

The vast amount of water needed for the larger baths was supplied by purpose built aqueducts and regulated by huge reservoirs in the baths complex. The reservoir of the Baths of Diocletian in Rome, for example, could hold 20,000 m³ of water. Water was heated in large lead boilers fitted over the furnaces. The water could be added (via lead pipes) to the heated pools by using a bronze half-cylinder (testudo) connected to the boilers. Once released into the pool the hot water circulated by convection.

Influence in Architecture

Baths and the need to create large airy rooms with lofty ceilings brought the development of the architectural dome. The earliest surviving dome in Roman architecture is from the frigidarium of the Stabian Baths at Pompeii, which dates to the 2nd century BCE. The development of concrete in the form of stiff mortared rubble allowed unsupported walls to be built ever wider apart, as did hollow brick barrel vaults supported by buttress arches and the use of iron tie bars. These features would become widely used in other public buildings and especially in large constructions such as basilicae. Even in modern times Roman baths have continued to influence designers, for example, both the Chicago Railroad Station and the Pennsylvania Station in New York have perfectly copied the architecture of the great frigidarium of the Baths of Caracalla.

Research

vi. Summary

In the plot, we will include the dictatorship of Julius Caesar that led to the disagreement of his senators and subsequently invited the death of Julius Caesar during the assassination. Focus will be given on pre- and post-assassination as it is the chosen timeline of research. Thus, Julius Caesar’s heir and Rome’s condition after his rule is also included in the plot.

Several Roman cultures amd traditions will also be included in the plot which includes Dies Lustricus during Caesar’s birth and also Poena Cullei (Punishment of the Sack) towards some of the conspirators after the assassination. Additionally, bath cultures will also be added into the plot as it is one of the daily activities of the ancient Romans

Most of the characters will be dressed in togas or armors as it is the basic formal wear during that time. There will only be one female character in this plot, which will be Porcia Catonis. She is the wife of Marcus Brutus and the only woman that knew about the plot of the assassination beforehand.

All in all, the plot will be ranging from when Julius is born until the death of Augustus Caesar, aka Octavian.

Sketch

i. Plot Summary

Julius Caesar was born in 100 B.C., Dies Lustricus is celebrated to welcome him to his family officially. Julius Caesar grew up as a successful orator, politician and general. He expanded the Roman map greatly and did a number of contributions towards the Roman society. His power grew and soon he started a dictatorship in Rome which led to the actions of the conspirators.

In 44 BC, Julius Caesar returns to Rome in triumph, having defeated the sons of his archenemy, Pompey the Great. A Soothsayer warns him of the possibility of trouble and to "beware the Ides of March." Caesar ignores him and proceeds to enjoy his triumph.

Conspirators (which include Cassius and Casca ), are envious of Caesar's popularity and begin to plot against him. They enlist Caesar's good friend, Marcus Brutus, as a member of their group. The conspirators believe he can easily be swayed to join them by convincing him that Caesar is a threat to the good of Rome and Cassius begins to plants seeds of doubt in Brutus by telling him stories that portray Caesar as being weak and vulnerable. Brutus feels he has a moral obligation to protect Rome against such leadership and after much deliberation, decides it would be in the best interests of Rome if Caesar were to be killed before problems have time to develop.

Brutus is disturbed by the plan. Portia sensed something but Brutus is reluctant to tell her his plans. Portia felt distrusted and wounded herself on the thigh to show her loyalty to her spouse. She endured the pain of the unattended wound for days. Finally, Brutus told her the plan, she was the only woman that was aware of the plan

Aides to Caesar try to convince him that there are conspirators plotting to kill him. Caesar refuses to listen, believing himself to be invulnerable. He proceeds to the Senate House, where his "friends" surround him and stab him to death. Brutus delivers the final blow. When he is recognized by his dying friend, Caesar utters in total disbelief the famous phrase, "Et tu, Brute?" (And you too, Brutus?)

Caesar’s body was prepared for the burial. The roman burial rituals and preparations were followed strictly. At Caesar's funeral, Brutus tells the citizens that Caesar has been killed because his ambition was a threat to their liberties and based upon their approving reaction makes way for Antony to give his eulogy. Antony convinces the crowd to turn against the conspirators, reminding them of Caesar's goodness and telling them Caesar left them each a sizeable inheritance. The army of conspirators has to flee the city in order to escape the wrath of the mob.

Antony allies himself with Caesar's heir, Octavius, and with Aemilius Lepidus. The three men declare themselves the Second Triumvirate of Rome and propose to jointly rule in the wake of Caesar's reign. Almost immediately, they try to out-maneuver one another to gain more power. They also declare a civil war against Brutus, Cassius, and the conspirators. Further manipulation and bloodshed ensue, but in the end, Caesars murder is avenged and order is restored to Rome.

Soon after, Octavian became the first emperor of Rome with the name Emperor Augustus.

ii. Script

ACT 1: EARLY LIFE OF JULIUS CAESAR

Scene 1: Day of Purification of Julius Caesar

Synopsis: The 8th day purification ritual after the birth of Julius Caesar

On the 9th day after the baby was born, Dies Lustricus is celebrated with joy in the family of Caesar.

Slave: What a beautiful baby! Here’s a clay charm for your crepundia. May it ward off the evil spirits around you.

Pope: [Carries baby out from the cot and placed him on his father’s feet]

Father: [Lifts baby from his feet] JULIUS CAESAR SHALL HE BE NAMED!

Pope: On this blessed day shall we welcome a baby boy, Julius to the Caesar’s. May he grow up with health and peace to become a strong man! [Wears a bulla on the baby]

******END OF SCENE******

Scene 2: Julius Caesar the Dictator

Synopsis: Changes made by Julius Caesar.

At a young age, Julius Caesar was involved in the Roman military. He then began his career as a lawyer at the age of 22 because of his fluency in speech. He was eventually elected as consul which was a point of time when his power started to grow.

During his years of governing Rome, he made changes that are still used until present times. For example:

Peasant 1: What day is today?

Peasant 2: 45th day of July

Peasant 1: Are you still using the old calendar? It has been changed, don’t you know?

Peasant 2: Oh really? Do you have a copy of it?

Peasant 1: Of course, Let me search for it.. There! For the new calendar, there are only 12 months in a year and 30 days in a month. It’s actually according to the constellation.

Peasant 2: Oh I see… This must be one of the changes done by General Caesar.

Peasant 1: [Nods head]

Meanwhile in Caesar’s residence,

Brutus: Welcome home The Great General! Another land conquered. Have I ever told you that you NEVER LOSE A WAR?

JC: Thanks for the welcome Brutus. How was the state while I’m away?

Brutus: Well everything went well; we made the changes you requested on the law and enforcement. The people were happy with it.

JC: They should be happy. Justice will be served with those changes; the Romans will live a better life.

Brutus: All thanks to you!

Julius Caesar’s power increased day by day. His great power then, eventually, led to his death…

******End of Scene******

ACT 2: ASSASINATION OF JULIUS CAESAR

Scene 1: Alliance between Casca, Cassius and Brutus.

Synopsis: Casca and Cassius convinced Brutus( a close friend of JC to join their plan to assassinate JC.

Setting: Bath house

Just as any other Romans, Brutus was cleaning himself in the bath house after a long days work. He was enjoying his bath whilst singing his favorite song. *Singing in the shower~*. Suddenly, there were unwanted guests in his private cubicle. He felt insecure.

Cassius and Casca: Greetings Brutus.

Brutus: Oh what a “pleasant surprise”

Cassius: Pleasant indeed. In fact, we have plotted something interesting and would like you to lead us.

Brutus: I have nothing to do with all your evil plans. Leave this place before I call the guards.

Casca: Why the hassle? Don’t you think Julius had been too dominant? Don’t you feel annoyed when he bosses around everything? Don’t you feel like getting rid of him once and for all?

Cassius: He’s gradually imaging himself as an aspiring king. It has been 5 centuries since we allowed a king to rule us. Clearly a monarchial rule is the last thing us Romans wants, Brutus.

Brutus: Stop all these nonsense! He’s my friend! *Don’t call my name Don’t call my name*

Cassius: Only a fool will take him as a friend.

Casca: Think about it Brutus.

After another few times of brainwashing, Brutus fell into the trap by trusting the words of Cassius and Casca. He allied with them and planned the assassination thoroughly. [Guys continue to silent talk. Then shakes hand]

******END OF SCENE******

Scene 2: Portia, the only woman that knew the plot.

Synopsis: Portia hurt herself on the thigh to prove her trustworthy.

Setting: Roman home

Back at home, Portia was preparing dinner for the family. She was troubled by the thought of being distrusted by her husband, Brutus.

[Monologue] Brutus had been weird these days; he didn’t even finish his five bowls of rice yesterday. He seemed troubled but he wouldn’t tell. Am I not trustworthy to him? Why is he hiding from me?

To prove her trustworthiness, Portia made a deep cut on her thigh and left the wound unattended. She hopes to earn Brutus trust by enduring the pain on her wound. And finally she succeeded.

Brutus: My beautiful wife, do not feel terrified as I announce to you that I shall kill Julius Caesar!

Portia: [Startled face]

******END OF SCENE******

Scene 3: The Assassination

Synopsis: JC was killed with 23 stabs all over his body.

Setting: Senatorial Hall

Antonio was walking down the Hall when he overheard Brutus and Cassius’ conversation.

Cassius: JC will be attending the senatorial meeting today. It’s our only chance but we have limited time. JC will be heading east after the meeting.

Brutus: I will inform the others about the assassination. We will surround him in the hall, he shall not escape!

Cassius: We shall not fail. For Rome!

Antonio: [Monologue] JC is in danger. I have to stop him from entering the senate!

The plotters however had anticipated this. Fearing that Antonio will come to Caesar’s aid, they assigned Casca to stall him from approaching Caesar by detaining him outside of the Theatre of Pompeii. Meanwhile, the conspirators crowded around Caesar in the hall.

Brutus: [Giving support to JC] Watch your step Caesar.

JC: [Waves him away]

Brutus: [Grabs JC’s shoulder and tore his tunic]

JC: Why. THIS IS VIOLENCE!

Casca: [Took out his dagger and thrust at JC’s neck]

With a quick turn and a catch, JC saved himself from the attacker.

JC: Casca, you villain, what are you doing?

Casca: Help brothers!

Within moments, the dictator was stroked with multiple stabs. Blinded by his blood, he tripped, and fell. Defenseless, he lay on the floor with 22 stabs. During the commotion, he saw a familiar face, Brutus.

JC: Et tu, Brute?

Brutus: [Comes forward. Kneel down and supported JC from the back. Stabs JC on the chest.]

JC: [Dies]

Brutus: ROME IS FREE AGAIN!!

******End of Scene******

Scene 4: Funeral and Burial of Julius Caesar

Caesar’s body was prepared for burial. His body was washed and scrubbed before putting him into his finest clothes. All the crowns and tokens he earned is put together with the corpse. A golden coin was placed in his mouth to pay for the boat ride to the underworld.

At his funeral,

Brutus: Julius Caesar, our mighty general was killed because his ambition is becoming a threat to us. He deserves death as he was planning to force Rome into a monarchial system!

Antonio: NONSENSE! Julius never had any plan of getting himself a throne. It was a case of murder out of jealousy! As a friend I am totally disappointed in your actions and maturity. Have you forgotten all the good of Caesar? He risked his life in battles for a better life for the Romans. He didn’t risk his life for himself. In fact he left us each a sizeable inheritance. [Facing the crowd] These people are murderers! They cannot live!

Augustus: Here I stand as the heir of Caesar, these conspirators must die. People of Rome… [Raises thumb to the air]

With the agreement of the mob, the conspirators were given death sentences. Brutus, Cassius and Casca were left in a sack with a snake, a chicken, a monkey and a dog. They were then thrown into the sea. Since then, they were never heard.

******End of Scene******

ACT 3: AUGUSTUS CAESAR AND THE DEMOCRATIC ROME

Scene 1: Augustus inherited Rome as Emperor

After the burial of the late Julius Caesar, and the death of the conspirators, Antonio allied with Lepidus and Octavian, forming the second triumvirate to jointly rule Caesar’s reign.

Antonio: We will share our power by dividing the territories. Any objections?

Augustus: I agree with a condition, the west will be under my control

Antonio: Certainly, and I will take the east and Lepidus shall take Africa.

Augustus: For peace and Rome. Prost!

Soon after, Augustus Caesar was crowned as the first emperor in the Roman history. The coronation was held.

Pope: Hear our prayer, Lord, and those of your servant. Look, Almighty God, with a serene gaze on this, your glorious servant,... [Place golden crown] Through whom honor and glory are yours through infinite ages of ages. Amen. [Passes sword]

Pope: Receive this sword by the hands of bishops, who, though unworthy, are consecrated to be in the place and authority of the holy Apostles, deliver it to you, with our blessing, to serve for the defense of the holy Church, divinely ordained, and remember of whom the Psalmist prophesised, saying, 'Gird the sword upon your thigh, O most Powerful One, that with it you may exercise equity.

Augustus: I, Augustus Caesar take my oath as the emperor of Rome. I shall protect my land, expand it. Rome shall be the richest land with educated people. I will protect the dignity of my land with my life. Rome and I shall be as one!

Pope: And I announce you Emperor Augustus. You may kiss your throne.

******End of Scene******

Scene 2: Augustus Caesar expands the map of Rome.

The crowning of Augustus Caesar started a monarchial system in Rome. As promised, he improved life at Rome.

Augustus: Anthony, get the finest craftsmen to fix the temples around.

Anthony: Yes your majesty.

Augustus: And also the public facilities, we’ll have marbles on the wall. And also send orders to repaint all governmental and holy buildings white.

Anthony: Your words shall be made reality sire.

Within the year, 82 temples in Rome were fixed and religion was given attention once again. Besides, Augustus Caesar also kept his promise on the map of Rome.

Augustus: [Looking at map] There is still so many land not conquered on this map. I shall take them down one after another. Hmm, let’s see.. Britain shall take the lead. PREPARE THE TROOPS! WE SHALL LEAVE IN A MONTH.

Year after year, Augustus Caesar expanded the Roman map, from Britain to Spain and Turkey. [Roman map expands] Under Augustus Caesar’s care, Rome entered Pax Romana, which was 200 years of peace.

Augustus Caesar died at the age of 77, his empire secured and peace. Soon after his death, A Roman Senate officially declared their departed emperor, like Julius Caesar before him, to be a god.

Before his last breath, Augustus said to his follower

Augustus: I found Rome of clay; I leave it to you of marble.

******END OF PLAY******

iii. Key Frames

Reference

Movie reference:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065922/synopsis?ref_=ttpl_pl_syn

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172495/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ql_6

The assassination:

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/caesar2.htm

http://www.biography.com/people/julius-caesar-9192504#assassination

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-ides-of-march-julius-caesar-is-murdered

Gladiators

http://www.exovedate.com/the_real_gladiator.html

http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-roman-gladiators

Characters

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/caesar_julius.shtml

http://spartacus-educational.com/ROMmarkantony.htm

http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/82449/Marcus-Junius-Brutus

https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Gaius_Cassius_Longinus.html

http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/caesarpeople/a/-91811-The-Role-Played-By-Casca-In-The-Assassination-Of-Julius-Caesar.htm

http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95sep/augustus.html

Culture

http://georgiaclassicist.wordpress.com/2013/11/02/the-bulla-and-the-celebration-of-the-dies-lustricus-2/

http://listverse.com/2014/02/13/10-lesser-known-ancient-roman-traditions/

https://christotechne.wordpress.com/category/the-punishment-of-the-sack/

Traditions

http://www.unrv.com/culture/ancient-roman-clothing.php

http://www.tribunesandtriumphs.org/roman-clothing/roman-clothing-for-women.htm

http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/clothing2.html

Myths

http://www.crystalinks.com/romemythology.html

http://www.ancient.eu/Romulus_and_Remus/

Social Strata

http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/rome/g/patrician.htm

http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/rome/p/equites.htm

http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/rome/g/plebs.htm

http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/plebian/g/Proletariat.htm

http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/socialculture/tp/Roman-Society.htm

http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/romeslavery/a/31412-From_Slave_to_Free_Born.htm

Architechture

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/roman_baths.htm

http://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Baths/

http://www.crystalinks.com/romebaths.html