Ancient Rome Flashcards
How did Rome get its name?
According to the founding myth - it was built by Romulus, who killed his twin brother Remus
How did the Etruscans influence the ancient Romans?
Etruscan Engineering – The Etruscans gave the Romans the arch and the cuniculus
Etruscan Sporting Events – The Etruscans gave the Romans chariot racing and gladiator fights
How did the Greeks influence the ancient Romans?
-Greek Architecture – The Greeks gave them Romans the column and other elements of temple design
Greek Writing – The Greeks gave the Romans Greek-style writing including using capital letters. Roman writers were influenced by Greek poetry and stories.
Greek Art – The Romans developed Greco-Roman art because the Romans loved Greek art.
Greek Religion – The Romans gave many Greek gods and goddesses Roman names.
Who were patricians?
Patricians were the wealthy, ruling class in the Roman Republic
Who were plebeians?
Plebeians were the poor common people during the Roman Republic
Plebeians started off with no rights and no say in the government.
The plebeians went on strike - they left the city of Rome and refused to do work - as a form of protest. This helped them get more rights.
Eventually, after the 12 Tables were published, plebeians gained political equality.
What were the Twelve Tables?
The Twelve Tables were the laws of Rome - written down and displayed so everyone knew what they were - this helped the plebeians
What did senators do?
-Served in the Senate
-Governed the republic, approved laws
-Originally only patricians
-Appointed government officials
-Served as judges
-Served for life
What did consuls do? How many were there?
-2 elected officials who commanded the army
-Served for one year
-Originally only patricians, later one was a plebeian
Compare the Roman Republic to our government.
-Both are republics
-In a republic people vote for representatives to make laws for them
-Both have Senates
-Both had checks and balances (veto power)
-Both had separation of powers.
constitutions
Who did the Romans fight in the Punic Wars? What were the results of the Punic Wars?
-Rome fought Carthage
-Rome won all 3 wars
-Rome gained more territory around the Mediterranean Sea
Why was Julius Caesar assassinated?
Julius Caesar declared himself “Dictator for Life” and the Senate was afraid that he would take their power and become a king
What happened after Julius Caesar died?
The assassins were defeated and eventually there was a Civil War
How did Octavian/Augustus become emperor? What kind of a leader was he?
-He defeated Mark Antony in a Civil war
-He never called himself emperor or king
-He made all of the important decisions for Rome
-He started the Pax Romana
-He made himself high priest and called himself divine
-He had his face put on coins
What was the Pax Romana?
A 200 year period of prosperity and achievement
What was the official religion of Rome when it fell in 476 CE?
Christianity
