As you saw in the Windows On (Lifestyles of the Wealthy: Villa and Townhouse) box on page 154, wealthy Romans could lives of opulence, comfort, and luxury all but unimaginable to their poorer countrymen. However, at least officially, all Romans shared a set of values embodied in and supported by the interlocking institutions of family, state, and religion. Assess the evidence relating to Roman values described below and then respond to the essay question that follows. Examine the emperor Augustus' description of his achievements on page 141, the Altar of Peace on page 142, and the Arch of Trajan on page 143. What actions does Augustus emphasize in his list of accomplishments? What message was intended by the scenes in the Altar and Arch? What do these three pieces of evidence tell us about the Roman people's expectations of their leaders? Read the excerpts relating to Roman family values on page 146. Which surprises you more, Pliny the Younger's love letter to his wife or Juvenal's letter to a friend? What values underlie the laws of Augustus and Theodosius? Roman life centered on the family. Click on the link to learn more about marriage and family life in first century Rome. Was Roman marriage primarily an emotional, political, or economic arrangement? In the excerpt on page 149, Quintilian makes a strong argument in favor of the potential of children to learn. Read the passage closely. Is he really in favor of education for all? What about education for the poor? How about for girls? Read the passages on slavery by Seneca and Pliny the Younger on page 151. According to Seneca, what is the difference, if any, between the essential nature of a slave and that of a free person? What is the moral of the story related by Pliny the Younger? Take a look at the Colosseum on page 152 and the Temple of Mars Ultor on page 153. What role did these buildings play in the public life of Rome? How statement about Rome did they make to the rest of the Mediterranean world? Examine the images of Roman dwellings on page 154 and the map of the Roman trade system on page 157. What made the lifestyle of wealthy Romans possible? Was great wealth usually inherited or earned? The graph on page 158 shows the decline in Greek and Roman literary production between 50 and 250 CE. How would you explain this phenomenon? Read the passages by Diocletian and Theodosius on page 163. How might these two emperors have explained the decline of the Roman Empire? When you have finished reviewing the evidence, write a well-organized essay on Roman family values. Did adherence to these values deteriorate in the centuries after the founding of the Empire? Use the evidence you have just examined to support your claims and observations.