3. The Legacy of AncientCultures

I. The development of European languagesII. Language – influence and change

III. Lingua FrancaIV. Greek and Roman Architecture

V. Roman baths VI. Roman cities

VII. Roman roads through Central EuropeVIII. Roman law

The Legacy of Ancient Cultures

49

the Europeanlegacy

the European legacy

50

I. The development of European languagesIn this unit you will

❍ learn about the Indo-European language and its branches❍ learn which European languages belong to these branches

1) Questionnaire. Guess if the following statementsare true or false. Write T or F next to each sentence.

❍ The Slovak and Czech languages are very close relatives.❍ German is related to them.❍ These three languages are related to languages like Gaelic, Greek and Hindi.❍ Hungarian is related to all the mentioned languages.❍ Greek and Polish have a common origin.❍ Hungarian is related to Turkish.❍ French is not related to any of these languages.

2) Read the following text. Check your answers.

There was a people around 4000 BC, who lived in the steppes of southern Russia, theIndo-Europeans. In the course of their migration they reached places as far apart asNorthern and Western Europe or Southern Asia. Their language (Indo-European) became the parent language of many of the languages which are spoken today fromthe British Isles through Greece to India. However, we don’t exactly know what theirlanguage was like because we have no written evidence.

The Indo-European language family has many branches:❍ One of them is the Germanic branch. Modern languages, like English, German and

Dutch belong to it.❍ Another one is the Slavic branch (also called Baltic-Slavic). The Slavic languages

include Czech, Slovak and Polish. That is why the Czech and Slovak languages are sosimilar to each other. Russian also belongs to this branch.

❍ Romance languages are based on Latin (Italic) and mainly spoken in Southern Europe(Ancient Roman Empire).

❍ Greek (Hellenic), Gaelic (Celtic), Romany and Lithuanian (Baltic) are also part of theIndo-European language family.

❍ Hungarian has not been mentioned yet. This is because it is not an Indo-Europeanlanguage. It is a Finno-Ugric language and its closest existing linguistic relatives inEurope are Finnish and Estonian. Other Indo-European languages, as well as Turkish,influenced the Hungarian language.

The development of European languages

51

3) Colour the language branches on the map.

o = orange (Baltic-Slavic) r = red (Romance) g = green (Germanic) y = yellow(Slavic) b = blue (Gaelic) br = brown (Hellenic) lg = light green (Albanian) p = purple (non Indo-European)

the European legacy

52

4) Name the modern European languages that belongto these language branches.

5) Find out approximately how many people inEurope speak each of the language branches.

6) Complete the “Family Tree” of the Indo-Europeanlanguages with the given words. (Note: only themajor groups have been included).

Albanian Bulgarian Catalan Celtic Croatian Dutch

Eastern Indo-European Languages English French Hellenic Irish

Latvian Polish Romance Romanian Romany Swedish

The development of European languages

53

the European legacy

54

The development of European languages

55

the European legacy

56

II. Language – influence and change In this unit you will

❍ think about why languages change❍ find out how Ancient Greek and Latin have influenced our vocabulary

Like everything else, language is subject to perpetual change. Sometimes people disapprove of these changes and regard them as decay rather than progress.Nevertheless, language change has been observable through the centuries.

1) Collect ideas why language changes.

Borrowing plays an essential part in language change. There are various ways of borrowing words from other languages:

❍ direct borrowing: = loan words (the word is integrated in the target language)❍ loan translation: the translation directly imitates the original❍ loan creation: relatively free translation (like an impulse).

2) Give examples for loan words and loan translations in English, German and your mothertongue.

Language – influence and change

57

In the first module we have learned that languages are interconnected because theybelong to the same language family.On the other hand we know that there were various connections between languagesbecause of intercultural contact (e.g. the Romans invaded most of Central Europe andcame as far as Great Britain). That is one reason why Latin became a lingua franca inEurope at that time.

3) Look at these Latin words and complete the table

Latin English German Czech Slovak Hungarian Frenchstudiumexemplatempuslinguaexercitiumantiquapatriares publicapatermatermaturushomoratioimagolitterapaxvinumpalustegula

4) Do the following sound familiar to you? They allmean the same. Which language are they?

“Our Father, who art in Heaven.”“Var Fader, du som är I himmelen”“Notre pére, qui es aux cieux.”“Pater noster, qui es in caelis.”“Mi Atyánk aki a mennyekben vagy.”“Otãe ná‰, ktor˘ si na nebesiach.”“Otãe ná‰, jenÏ jsi na nebesích.”“Oce nas, koji si nanebesina.”

the European legacy

58

5) What are the equivalents in your language and inthe languages of your classmates from othercountries?

Before Latin, Ancient Greek had the role of the lingua franca. We still use a lot ofGreek words for our modern word formation.

6) Make existing compounds by connecting the givenprefix and suffixes with the particles below.

mono- -logy -phone

PSYCHO MEGA LOGUE ASTRO DICTA ZOO TONOUS TELE

TECHNO POLY GRAMMO BIO MICRO GAMY

7) Find equivalents in your own language.

Language – influence and change

59

the European legacy

60

III.Lingua FrancaIn this unit you will

❍ learn about the importance of Latin❍ learn what lingua franca means❍ consider the importance of English today❍ consider the problems in connection with a dominant world language

“Lingua Latinum” = the Latin languageThe Romans spoke Latin which, like English, is an Indo-European language. Latin, likeAncient Greek, but unlike English, has fallen out of use over time. We do not use itfor everyday communication any more but the languages we do speak include manywords from Latin. Classical Latin literature brought prestige to the language, andplayed an important role in the formation of European culture. In many ways Latinwas the model of the “perfect language”, also because it was grammatically very precise and logical.

Latin was the language of culture, religion, science and trade up to the 18th century.Educated people from different countries could talk to each other in Latin. Therefore,it was the “lingua franca”.

Lingua franca is an intermediary language, a medium for communication between people of different nationalities who do not share a common language. For example, people from two different countries, such as Hungary and France may usea third language, such as English, to communicate. In this case, English serves as thelingua franca.

English – the modern Lingua FrancaThe United States of America had to decide on an official language. In the secondhalf of the 19th century they decided between the two most widely-spoken languagesin the country at that time, English and German.

1) Use various sources to find out the following andcomplete the table.

❍ how many native speakers of English are there in the world?❍ how many people live in countries where English is the second official language?

Numbers Percentage of world population

Native speakers of English

English as a second language

Lingua Franca

61

2) What makes a language dominant? List your ideas.

3) Bring newspaper articles in your own languageand pick out examples, which show how Englishhas influenced your mother tongue.

4) What problems can arise when a dominant language becomes a lingua franca? Discuss inclass.

5) Read for fun.

“Ze drem vil finali kum tru”

The European Union Commissioners have announced that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language for European communications,rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spellinghad some room for improvement and accepted a five-year plan for what will beknown as EuroEnglish (Euro for short). In the first year, "s" will be used instead of the "c", which is used in front of “e” and “i”. Sertainly, sivil servants will resieve thisnews with joy. Other uses of "c" will be replaced by "k". Not only will this klear upkonfusion, but typewriters kan have one letter less. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced by "f".This will make words like "fotograf" 20 per sent shorter. In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agrethat the horible mes of silent "e"s in the languag is disgrasful, and they wil go to .

By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" by z" and "w"by " v".

During ze fifz year, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou", andsimilar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultisand evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer.

Ze drem vil finali kum tru!

the European legacy

62

IV. Greek and Roman architectureIn this unit you will

❍ consider the importance of architecture ❍ learn about Greek and Roman architecture❍ carry out an independent study project

The importance of architecture1) Bring pictures of a piece of architecture (an interior,

a bridge, a church, etc.) that you particularly like ordislike. Explain your choice. Exhibit your picture inclass.

2) Put the exhibited pictures into categories of use(e.g. churches, castles, railway stations) and style(e.g. Baroque, Gothic, Modern, etc.).

3) Of all the pieces of architecture (exhibited or youhave ever seen), which one affects you most? Tryto describe your impressions.

4) Why does architecture affect us? List reasons anddiscuss in class.

Architecture mirrors the geographical, cultural, political and economic influences ofthe time in which it was created.

5) Find examples for each of the above mentioned influences and complete the table.

Geographical

Cultural

Political

Economic

Greek and Roman architecture

63

The architecture of the western world has deep roots going back to the Nile Valley ofEgypt, the valleys of the Rivers Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia and theMediterranean area.

In particular, the influence of Ancient Mediterranean architecture, Greek and Roman,was important in the development of architecture in Europe.

Sources of Ancient Greek architecture1. Minoan architecture (ca. 3000 – 1100 BC)The cultures of the Nile valley and western Asia grew very slowly. But on the island ofCrete, an advanced civilisation developed very quickly at an early date. This was theMinoan civilisation. Minoans developed a new architectural form on Crete, based onwooden columns which were narrow at the bottom and broad at the top. The tops ofthese columns were called “capitals”. The walls of Minoan buildings were decoratedwith images from the natural world, such as shells, fish, foliage, animals, and people.The most famous example of Minoan architecture is the Palace of Knossos.

2. Mycenaean architecture (16th – mid-12th century BC)Towards the end of the Minoan period, new peoples from the north moved into theMediterranean area where they mixed with earlier peoples. They added new architectural ideas to the ones they found. In their palaces they used the decorativeforms of the Minoans, but the plans of the buildings differ from those of earlierCretan architecture. Their buildings made use of courts, surrounded by rows of columns, and had guarded gateways, a main room with a hearth, and separate quarters for women. This architecture is usually called Mycenaean, and is the typedescribed in the famous Greek epics, the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey”.

In 1876 Heinrich Schliemann began excavations at Mycenae. Others continued hiswork. Jewellery and weapons were taken from the tombs. The fortification aroundthe city, the nine great “beehive” tombs, and the Lion Gate are still standing. TheAcropolis was built from 1700 to 1100 BC, when the attacks by new peoples from thenorth destroyed the Mycenaean civilisation.

Greek architectureThe architecture of Europe derives from ancient Greek architecture. Greek architectsnever merely copied what had already been built; they were continuously seeking toimprove earlier designs. Greek architecture reached its peak between 450 to 300 BC. It had begun to take on a definite form about two hundred years earlier. It continuedto be important down to the first century BC when Greece came under Roman control.

The forms of Greek architecture developed from many sources. The temple shapegrew out of the old heroic "megaron" (a fine example of megaron can be seen in theMycenaean Acropolis). This was the central room of the chief’s house. It had a hearthand was surrounded by a colonnaded porch. (A porch is the space which is covered bya roof extending from the main wall).

the European legacy

64

The columns were borrowed from earlier Cretan civilisation but they had a more important function in Greek structures The earliest columns, all of which have nowbeen destroyed, were made of wood. Early Greeks used the simplest device for supporting the roofs of buildings: the post and lintel technique. Later the wood waspartially protected by a layer of decorated baked clay, called “terra cotta”. Finally, thecornices of the beams and eaves (together called the “entablature”) were entirely made of marble or other stone. However, the carved forms still remind us of the factthat the original columns were made of wood.

Greek Architectural OrdersThe Greeks developed three systems of columns and entablatures.The oldest one is the Doric order, which dates from the seventh century BC. It was used not only on the Greek mainland, but also in the western colonies, such as Sicilyand southern Italy. The finest example of Doric architecture is the Parthenon Templeon the Acropolis of Athens. Another classic example of this order is the Temple ofNeptune in Paestum.

The Doric column has a plain shaft without a base which tapers slightly towards thetop. The height of the column is five to seven times its diameter at the base. Alongthe shaft there are sixteen to twenty vertical, shallow grooves, or “flutes“, which meet in sharp edges. The capital has two parts of equal thickness. The upper part, a square block, or plinth, called the abacus, rests upon the lower one, a circular pillow-like tablet called the echinus. Above the capital is a structure known as the entablature. This consists of three parts The architrave or the spanning member is directly above the columns. The frieze is the decorative middle portion and the cornice is the projecting protective highest part.

The more slender, graceful and decorative Ionic order developed one hundred yearslater on the Aegean islands. The Ionic column rises from a circular or polygonal baseto a capital adorned with an echinus and scrolls or volutes, connected by a horizontalband. The height of the column equals seven and a half to nine and a half times itsdiameter at the base. Along the shaft there are twenty-four flutes, separated by

Greek and Roman architecture

65

narrow fillets (flat surfaces). Among the finest examples of Ionic architecture were theDiana Temple in Ephesus and the Erechtheum in Athens.

The Corinthian order appeared in Athens in the fifth century BC. It is a variation ofthe Ionic order, having a slender, fluted column, but a more elaborate capital. The capital consists of a bell-shaped body surrounded by two or three rows of acanthus leaves. Above these leaves are pairs of branching scrolls meeting at the corners in spiral volutes. The monument of Lysikrates at Athens is a famous example of GreekCorinthian art.

Greek houses were generally simple. Many of them were built around smallcourtyards, which sometimes had colonnaded porches. A further typical feature ofGreek architecture was the market place or town square (agora) surrounded by publicbuildings as well as the amphitheatre and stadium.

the European legacy

66

Roman ArchitectureLong before the rise of Rome, the Etruscans in Italy had become expert in the use ofthe arch. Roman architecture became distinctive only after Rome had conquered Italy.Then the Romans took up the Etruscan use of the arch and vault and developed itfurther. The Romans were also heavily influenced, like the Etruscans before them, byGreek architecture.

An arch is a structure capable of carrying weight over open space. It is made up of pieces of stone in a way that each individual piece presses against its neighbours on either side. Thus the pieces are held in place, and together they form a strong “arch”over the opening. The particular shape of an arch and the wedge shape of its parts,creates a strong outward force called thrust. To secure an arch therefore the thrusthas to be withstood either by the thrust of other arches as in an arcade or by heavymasses of masonry called buttresses.

A vault is a roof or ceiling in the form of an arch. The simplest form is the barrelvault. A dome is a vault in the form of a hemisphere built upon a circular base. Somelater domes are oval or slightly pointed. The best example of a dome is the Pantheonin Rome.Between 133 BC to 31 BC the Romans began to use stone and brick vaults with ever-increasing skill. The further development of vault forms marked the best Romanarchitecture until the fall of Rome in 476 AD. The vault enabled them to put a roof over wide spaces without interior support. By using the arch the Romans could buildwith bricks and small stones held together by cement. This technique made buildingeasier than the enormous stone slabs used by the Egyptians and the marble or wooden beams used by the Greeks. Romans used arches to build aqueducts and bridges.

The enormous Roman public baths had huge vaults. The use of arches required enormously heavy walls. As a result, Roman buildings gave an impression of massiveness rather than of grace. Perhaps the most interesting feature of Roman architecture was the elaborately decorated interiors, whereas in Greece the exteriordecoration was outstanding.

Roman architects also developed a simple, functional and almost modern-looking stylefor domestic and urban use like apartment houses and shops. It was also frequently used in the great country houses or villas which were a feature of Roman life.Excellent examples of this latter type can be seen in the ruins of such cities as Ostia,Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Greek and Roman architecture

67

6) Produce a portfolio on Ancient Greek and Romanarchitecture.

Deadline: You will have to hand in this portfolio by _______________________ .

Guidelines:❍ You will have four lessons in class to work on this topic.

Write in the dates: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

❍ To meet the above mentioned deadline you will have to work at home.❍ Use the class lessons to check the material you are collecting with your teacher. ❍ Consider the layout of your portfolio carefully. ❍ Do not copy your texts directly from the internet or any other sources (copyright

laws!).❍ Your portfolio should be in printed form.

Contents:❍ Worksheets of Greek columns (use the text in this unit to label them)❍ Information (text and graphic material) on at least three of the following topics:

Minoan architectureMycenaeGreek architecture (Athens – Acropolis) Greek MythologyGreek Mythology in music and literatureAncient RomeYour special area of interest

❍ Topic-related vocabulary (keywords and phrases)❍ Sources used (e.g. internet websites, etc.) ❍ Bibliography

Useful information:❍ www.alltheweb.com is a very helpful search engine. Type the following key

words: Minoan, Minoan architecture, Greek architecture, Mycenae, Heinrich Schliemann, Athens Acropolis, Ancient Rome, Greek mythology, Trojan War

❍ You can also use the books provided by your teacher as possible sources❍ You can also ask your art teacher for further information❍ Visit a library to find out more.

the European legacy

68

Label the drawings with the following words:

A) Abacus Cornice Echinus Entablature Fluting Frieze

B) Orders: Corinthian Doric Ionic

C) Capitals: Abacus Acanthus Leaf Corinthian Doric Echinus Fluting Ionic Volute

Greek and Roman architecture

69

the European legacy

70

V. Roman bathsIn this unit you will

❍ read a description of a Roman bath❍ find out the meaning of some Latin words connected to Roman baths❍ learn about spas in Central Europe

1) Reading text. Read the description of a Romanbath and fill in the gaps with the following words.

triple mysterious message compass connected aqueducts baths

One of the most important Roman legacies is the consciousness of mind and body.An old Roman proverb described an ignorant person in the following way: “He doesn’t even know how to read or swim”. They thought that mind and body were inseparably _________ .

In Roman times, the best place for keeping the body (and the mind) in good condition was the Roman bath. Some Romans had private ______ in their homes butthere were also public baths. Baths were not only a place for washing, but also for socialising. Some of the larger ones even included a gymnasium and a library.In the 4th century AD, there were 11 public and more than one thousand privatebaths in Rome. Of course they needed a lot of water, which was supplied by no lessthan 14 ________ .

Roman baths provided separate warm and cold bathing facilities for men and weredesigned very efficiently. Typically they were rectangular in form. The outside wallswere often more than 300 metres long with a central closed area of 200 x 200 metres.They had four entrances from the direction of the four cardinal ________ points. The first place the bathers entered was the “apodyterium” (= dressing room). One of the entrances led to the “palaestra” (= an open yard for exercise and socialising).Another one led to the central building’s large hall called the “frigidarium” (cold room). It was dimly lit, which created a __________ atmosphere. Another hall was thelepidarium (= the heated room), which was heated by braziers. In the centre of the“tepidarium” there was the ‘lavatio’ (= the showers). From there, bathers passedthrough to the “caldarium” (= hot bath), which normally included a number of pools.The central part consisted of the “sudatorium” (= sweating room) and the “laconium”(= steam bath). There were mosaics on the floor and the walls were covered withmarble. The baths of the Emperor Caracalla, even contained a stadium with trees and gardens,halls for walking and ‘exedrae’ (= rooms for philosophical discussion).Thus, the baths had a ________ function: cleanliness – fitness – intellectual challenge.Roman baths have a ________ for our modern civilisation: “Mens sana in corpore sano”(a healthy mind in a healthy body).

Roman baths

71

2) Find the English definitions for the followingterms in the text above:

Apodyterium

Palaestra

Frigidarium

Tepidarium

Lavatio

Caldarium

Sudatorium

Exedra

Laconium

“Saluberimae thermae” (the healing spas) – Spas inCentral Europe

The Roman legacy of the healing spa has been preserved throughout history. The“Wellness” trend of the last years shows just how up-to-date their ideas were. Today a number of flourishing spa towns can be found in Austria, Slovakia, Hungaryand the Czech Republic, as well as in almost all other European countries. The hydro-geological structure of Central Europe makes the countries rich in mineralwater and thermal healing springs.

the European legacy

72

3) Consult a map of Central Europe and write the names of the following spa towns in the appropriateplaces on the map below: Trencianske Teplice, Eger,Baden, Marianske Lazne, Hajduszoboszlo, Piestany,Frantiskovy Lazne, Oberlaa, Heviz, Karlovy Vary,Bardejov and Bad Gastein. Add other spas.

Spas offer a wide range treatments for various ailments. Some of the spas in CentralEurope have international repute.

4) Compile a list of expressions to do with ailmentsand their treatments in spas (e.g. rheumatic ailments, physiotherapy, etc). Make a mindmap.

Roman baths

73

the European legacy

74

VI. Roman cities In this unit you will

❍ learn about the Romans in Vienna, Hungary and Slovakia❍ carry out a project about Roman Vienna

The Romans in Vienna

1) Use these facts about Vindobona and draw a timeline in your notebook (1cm = 20 years).

15 BC Romans invade Noricum and Pannonia

100 AD Camp Vindobona built of stone (tents replaced by stone buildings)

166-180 AD Marcus Aurelius uses Vindobona as his headquarters for his fights against the Germanic tribes

375 AD Huns raid Roman provinces

400 AD Roman legions withdraw

2) Listen to the description of a typical Roman fortified camp. Draw a sketch in your notebookand label it.

Roman Vienna

3) Trace the tour around Roman Vienna on the mapand mark all significant places.

Roman cities

75

the European legacy

76

(1) Start at Stephansplatz Underground Station.

(2) Before you take the escalator up to the Graben look for exhibits of Roman stonesfound during the construction of the underground and the excavations of partsof the city wall. Now turn right into the Graben.

(3) At the crossing of the Graben and Tuchlauben there was the impressive SouthGate of the camp (a model of it can be seen at the History Museum of the City ofVienna).

(4) Walk straight on into Naglergasse. The houses on the right side of the lane arebuilt on the Roman wall which is still preserved underneath the pavement andwas about 2m thick at that point.

(5) At the corner of Haarhof you can still discover the slope of the inner moat.

(6) In the cellar of the house, Naglergasse No.26, there are remains of the foundationsof one of the corner towers of the camp.

(7) Now turn right into Tiefer Graben which was originally a stream.

(8) Where the bridge crosses the road there was the Western Gate of the camp.Now leave the Roman wall for a moment, walk up to the bridge, turn intoWipplingerstrasse and walk along Färbergässchen to the Platz Am Hof.

(9) At No. 9 you can see Roman remains (visits only at weekends!).

(10) Back at Tiefer Graben you turn around the corner of the camp into Salzgrieswhich was originally a river. At the traffic lights you turn into Vorlaufstrasse andwalk as far as Sterngasse.

(11) From there a staircase leads up to the Ruprechtskirche and you can see hugesquare stone blocks, remains of a Roman bath.

(12) Along Marc Aurel-Strasse you return to the former wall at the corner of Salzgriesand Morzinplatz.

(13) Walk on to Rabensteig, cross the Fleischmarkt and find Rotgasse.

(14) Now you are at the north-eastern corner of the former fort.

(15) At the corner Rotgasse/Lichtensteig at the level of the first floor you will find amosaic showing the East Gate of the camp, which was in Ertlgasse.

(16) Turn into Hoher Markt, the oldest square of Vienna. Now you are leaving the former wall.

(17) In the Hoher Markt you can see the ruins of the Roman Commander’s house andthe houses of his officers (House No.3). Along Kramergasse you return to yourpoint of departure.

Roman cities

77

4) Project. Walk the route of Roman Vienna and produce a video or a photo documentary.

The Romans in Hungary

5) Complete the following text (each _ stands for oneletter).

Fr _ _ a geogr _ _ _ _ _ _ _ point o_ view Hung _ _ _ is divi _ _ _ into t _ _ by theRi _ _ _ Danube. Pa_ _ of Hung_ _ _ , cal_ _ _ Pannonia w_ _ a Ro _ _ _ prov_ _ _ _ . Pannonia cons_ _ _ _ _ of t_ _ pa_ _ _ , Pannonia Superior wi_ _ Carnuntum a _ its cen_ _ _ and Pannonia Inferior. The ma _ _ c i _ _ of this pa _ _ was Aquincum, wh_ _ _ to_ _ _ is Obuda, a pa_ _ of Buda _ _ _ _.Or _ _ _ Rom _ _ _ settl _ _ _ _ _ _ we _ _ Savaria (Szombathely), Scarabantia(Sopron), Gorsium (area of Szekesfehervar), Sopianae (Pecs) and Arrabona (Györ).

6) Find these places in your atlas and check with themap in the next unit .

The Romans in Slovakia

7) Match the sentences.

Only a tiny bit of Slovak territory it had been a massive fortress.

The most important archaeological south of the Danube was part of the site is situated Roman Empire.

It was a fortified military camp in a part of Bratislava called Rusovce.

Excavations revealed that at the an inscription on the cliff of the castle of time of Emperor Valentinian Trencin.

The objects found at Gerulata called Gerulata.are shown

The most northern Roman monument in a permanent exhibition in Rusovce.in Slovakia is

8) Find Gerulata on the map on page in the next unit.

the European legacy

78

VII. Roman roads through Central Europe

In this unit you will

❍ work with a map of Roman Austria as well as a modern atlas❍ learn about Roman settlements and their remains in Austria❍ compare Roman long-distance roads with modern transit routes

The astounding continuity of Roman settlement sites and major transport routes tothe present day are proof of their high quality.

Situation about 2000 years ago.❍ Roman Limes along the Danube.❍ Fortified settlements, castrae; some of considerable size (e.g. Carnuntum

had more than 100,000 inhabitants) along the Limes as well as at importantcrossroads, fords and the foot of Alpine passes.

❍ Network of high-standard long-distance roads, partly using even older trade routes.

Roman roads through Central Europe

79

Situation today.❍ Roman layouts and street patterns of former castrae still clearly discernible

in present-day towns such as Eferding, Linz, Pöchlarn, Mautern, Tulln and Vienna.

❍ Raised dams, deeply engraved wheel tracks in rock, mile stones telling thedistance to the next town and the name of the emperor who had the respective road built.

1) Find out the Latin names of the towns mentionedabove.

2) Compare the modern motorways and railway linesthrough Austria with the Roman long-distance road plan.

3) Find out which Roman castra have been in continualuse up to the present (Latin and modern name).

the European legacy

80

VIII. Roman lawIn this unit you will

❍ search for information on Roman law

1) Use as many sources as possible to find out aboutRoman law. Then answer the following questions:

❍ What is Roman law?❍ How has it influenced our modern law. ❍ What are the Twelve Tables?❍ What were the main aspects of the Roman law system?❍ What did the law originally regulate?❍ What are “jus civile” and “jus gentium”?❍ Which role did Justinian play?

Roman law

81

the European legacy

82