The Roman Domus is undoubtedly an interesting object for the studies by historians from different periods which is not surprising due to the fact that it is remarkable in several areas when compared with the houses from its coaeval cultures or earlier cultures. The first element of high interest that deserves attention from this point of view is the Roman aqueducts or the system of tubes for water supply that is characterized by its complexity for the given period (Grig 279). Another element that can be taken into focus as regards the distinguishing peculiarities of the Roman Domus is the use of arches and vaults for the construction of spacious buildings. Historians specify that no other cultures of that time had such invention (George 11). Arches and vaults demonstrated Roman’s focus on comfort and luxury. A yet another element of the Roman Domus significant for this observation is a specific organization of the building around one big room called the atrium. This detail demonstrates the tendency of Roman people to socialize (George 15).
Analysis of the Roman Domus elements suggests a conclusion that it directly reflects the values of Roman society at large. Roman culture is known for its pursuit of comfort. Such elements as aqueducts and arches and vaults demonstrate the implementation of this value in the construction of the Roman Domus. Another interesting element proving the fact that the Roman Domus reflects the values of Roman society is the atrium. This element provides the basis for the conclusion that socialization is an important part of Roman life because it demonstrates people’s desire to communicate with each other on a regular basis thus establishing the family values of Roman society.
To keep order and control social behavior in the Roman people, regulatory devices such as the legal system, corporal punishment, and litigation system were in practice (Bauman 22). Roman legal system pertained to all major areas of law, but its focus was private law and civil procedure. This approach to the legal system organization appeared an effective advancement for the development of society and it was soon copied by other nations and societies (Bauman 43). Roman corporal punishment system was based on the principle of correspondence of the degree and kind of punishment to the degree and kind of offense (Schiavone 9). It included such types of punishment as fines, seizures, enforcement to work in mines, and imprisonment. Roman litigation system became a milestone in the history of legal development in the world because it led to the emergence of the class of professional jurists (Schiavone 14).
Roman legal system benefited society in some areas including protection of poor people’s rights, effective management of property and possession rights, and provision of the legislative basis and regulations for addressing the wrongs (Schiavone 18). Roman corporal punishment system became quite effective in law enforcement and thus helped address the growing social problems that appeared in Rome after the Punic Wars when lower-class people were forced from their small farms and became dangerous due to the absence of stable income (Schiavone 86). Roman litigation system provided all citizens with an opportunity to know and protect their rights, a privilege that did not exist in the earlier societies where only the representatives of the highest authority could issue, interpret, and understand laws. As a result, Roman society continued to grow and develop and left one of the most significant traces in the system of the world’s social behavior regulation (Schiavone 90).
Roman culture can be classified as a hybrid culture based on the fact that there are witnesses by multiple historians proving connections between Roman, Greek, Etruscan, and other cultures (Bauer 72). To illustrate, Roman art borrowed a lot from Greek art which can be seen in the similar approach to the accomplishment of marble sculptures, portrait art, mosaics, and murals (Stokstad and Cothren 25). Another common trait between the two arts is similar themes and motives that are mainly centered on religion, deities, and the cult of the human body beauty (Stokstad and Cothren 37).
Roman religion is by far the most vivid evidence proving the fact that Roman culture is hybrid. Such a conclusion can be made based on the fact that Greek religion and Roman are largely similar. Roman gods are either the versions of Greek deities as Bacchus and Dionysius, Mercury and Hermes, Venus and Aphrodite, or have numerous similar traits as Jupiter and Zeus (Bauer 83).
Finally, Roman literature has several similar tendencies to Greek literature. For instance, the epic poetry of Vergil, the satires of Horace, and elegiac works by Ovid are largely affected by Hellenistic literature (Bauer 91). Roman and Greek literature focus on similar themes of heroism, the triumph of the human spirit, and yearning for adventure (Bauer 92). Philosophic implications in Roman literature also echo philosophic implications in Greek literature exploring the themes of human suffering, limits of knowledge, individual free will, and moral responsibility.
Works Cited
Bauer, Susan. The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2007. Print.
Bauman, Richard. Human Rights in Ancient Rome. London: Routledge, 2012. Print.
George, Michele. “Domestic Architecture And Household Relations: Pompeii And Roman Ephesos.” Journal For The Study Of The New Testament 27.1 (2004): 7-25. Print.
Grig, Lucy. “Roman History.” Greece & Rome 61.2 (2014): 278-87. Print.
Schiavone, Aldo. The Invention of Law in the West. New York: Belknap Press, 2012. Print.
Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael Cothren. Art: A Brief History. Fourth Edition. United States: Prentice-Hall, 2009. Print.