Chapter 11-Rome: Republic To Empire Flashcards
What are two things that have attracted people to Italy for thousands of years?
Location and climate
What were the two things about Rome’s location on the Tiber river that were positive?
1) It was easy to move goods through Italy, and to and from the Mediterranean Sea.
2) It protected the city from pirate raids.
What marked the birth of Rome and the people who became known as Romans?
A group of people called Latins settled in Rome’s hills in central Italy.
When was the birth of Rome, when the Latins settled in Rome’s hills?
Between 800 bc and 700 bc
Who also moved into the area of Rome and who eventually took control of Rome?
Greeks and Etruscans moved into the area. In time, the Etruscans took control of Rome.
What did the Greeks and Etruscans influence in Rome?
They influenced Roman culture, architecture, religion, and military style.
What is a form of government in which citizens elect their leaders?
A republic
When the Romans overthrew their Etruscans King what did they do?
Set up a republic
True or false
The United States today is an example of a republic.
True
Rome developed a strong army. They formed groups of soldiers called what?
Legions
Why were Roman legions successful at war?
Roman legions were skilled at fighting and could move quickly around a battlefield.
What were the two classes of people called in early Rome?
Patricians, who were wealthy landowners
Plebeians, who were poor
At first, did plebeians share equal rights with patricians?
No
True or false
Plebeians could never take part in the Roman government.
False. Eventually, plebeians won the right to take part in the Roman government.
What are plebeian elected officials called?
Plebeians elected officials, called tribunes, to represent them in government.
How many branches of government did the Roman Republic have and what are they?
3 branches; One branch made the laws, a second branch ran the daily affairs of the government, and the third branch served as judges.
What was the branch of Roman Republic, who made the laws, made up of?
The Senate and an assembly
Who led the branch of the Roman Republic that ran the daily affairs of the government?
Two consuls, or heads of government
What were the judges in the Roman Republic called?
Praetors
What is the system called that prevents one branch of government from getting too powerful?
The system of checks and balances
Give an example of how checks and balances work.
One consul could veto, or reject, a decision made by the other consul.
During a crisis what did the Senate have the ability to do?
During a crisis, the Senate could appoint a temporary dictator, or strong leader who was given complete control of the government.
After the trouble had passed, what was the dictator expected to do?
The dictator was expected to step down.
Rome’s legal system was based on everyone being treated the same way under the law. What is this called?
Rule of law
Who was Rome’s main rival for control of the Mediterranean region?
Carthage
How many wars did Rome fight with Carthage and what were the wars called?
Three wars and they were called the Punic wars.
Who won the Punic wars?
In 146 bc, Rome defeated Carthage and made it a province, or regional district, under Rome’s control.
After the Punic wars, who did Rome conquer and where did Rome begin to expand its territory?
Rome conquered Greece and began to expand its territory into Asia
What were large farming estates called?
Latifundia
What happened to the small farmers in the Roman Republic?
Small farmers in the Roman Republic begin to fall into poverty and lose their land.
Why did the small farmers in the Roman Republic lose their land?
They could not compete with wealthy Romans who owned latifundia.
What was the result of the small farmers losing their farms?
The poor farmers moved to Roman cities in great numbers.
What did the Roman leaders do when all the poor farmers moved to the cities?
Roman leaders used a “bread and circus” policy to feed and entertain the poor who were now crowding the cities.
Why did the Roman leaders use the “Bread & Circus” policy?
They wanted to prevent the poor from revolting.
Who within the Roman Republic began to seek and gain greater political power?
Roman military leaders
What is a political group of three people who are in equal power called?
Triumvirate
When was the first triumvirate formed to rule Rome?
60bc
Who were the 3 leaders in the first triumvirate?
Crassus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar
In what year did Caesar defeat Pompey in a Civil War?
44bc
Who became Rome’s first dictator for life?
Julius Caesar
What happened to Julius Caesar after he became the first dictator?
Members of the Senate killed him that same year.
When did Julius Caesar die and what is the name of the day called?
March 15 was the day he was killed.
Ides of March
After Julius Caesar’s death, the second triumvirate was formed. Who was in it?
Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus
Who became rivals in the second triumvirate causing a Civil War to break out again?
Antony and Octavian
Who was Mark Antony’s ally?
Cleopatra, of the queen of Egypt
Why did Antony and Cleopatra kill themselves?
To avoid being captured by Octavian.
Who became the second dictator of Rome?
Octavian
What did Octavian rename himself?
Augustus
What was a time of peace and prosperity for Rome called?
Pax Romana
Under whose leadership was the beginning of Pax Romana?
Augustus
What are the years packs Romana lasted?
27bc to 180ad……200 years
What are some things Augustus did while being dictator?
Augustus strengthened the army, protected Rome’s borders, and rebuilt in marble many of Rome’s buildings.
After Augustus died, who ruled Rome? And did he rule effectively?
After Augustus died, his son, Tiberius, ruled effectively.
Who ruled after Tiberius?
A series of cruel dictators, ruled Rome after Tiberius
Who was Rome ruled by during the 100’s a.d.?
During the 100’s a.d., Rome was ruled by the Five Good Emperors.
What is one thing the Five Good Emperors did while they ruled?
They built aqueducts, or human made channels, to bring water from the country to the city.
Did the Five Good Emperors rule during a time of peace and prosperity? And did they abuse their power?
They ruled during a time of peace and prosperity and did not abuse their power.
How big was the Roman empire during rule of the Five Good Emperors?
The Roman empire was almost the size of the United States today, making it one of the largest empires in history.
