Ancient Rome (xmas test) Flashcards
What is a patrician ?
The wealthy noble families who ruled Rome
What is a plebeian ?
The poor , who made up the vast majority of the Rome population
Where did patricians live ?
A domus in the city and a villa in the country side
Where did plebeians live ?
Insulae - an apartment block
What were examples of Rome’s public entertainment?
Public baths (mostly for the rich) , chariot racing (circus maximus) , gladiator fights (amphitheatre)
What are mosaics?
Pictures made form small pieces of stone , glass or tile
What is the dole?
A payment of free grain
What are gladiators ?
Slaves who fought in amphitheaters for the entertainment of the crowd
What is an amphitheatre ?
Where gladiatorial games where held
What legacy did Rome leave in Europe ?
Architecture-the romans were great engineers and builders. They built long lasting roads to help increase trade and they also invented concrete to make their buildings more durable
Christianity - the roman empires conversion to Christianity meant that the Catholic Church became the world’s most powerful religion in the following centuries.
Latin - Latin was the language of the Roman Empire, it is not spoken today but many European languages (french , Spanish etc ) are based on it
Who lifted the ban on Christianity in Rome ?
Emperor Constantine
What did patricians wear ?
Mean wore a toga and women wore a stola
What is an an aqueduct ?
A structure that carries the water of a canal across a river or hallow.
What is an orator ?
The art of speaking in public
What is a dowry ?
The payment made by a wife’s family to her husband normally to cover their household expenses
What was education like in Rome ?
Plebeian children got basic education at home and then began working with their family’s
Patrician education had three different stages - boys (and some girls) at the age of 7-12 attend a ludus , then boy went to a grammaticus school and girl were kept home and thought by there mothers , finally at 16 patrician boys were thought oratory.
What was woman in marriage like in Ancient Rome ?
Roman girls were married by the age of 14 or 15. Many women died in childbirth so men often married many times and a girl could end up marrying a man her fathers age
Slaves in Ancient Rome
Slavery was an everyday feature of Rome. Any prisoners became slaves , children of slaves , people captured by pirates and parents in debt sometimes sold their children into slavery
