Chapter 3 Ancient Rome Flashcards
How did Rome start out as? What were the people living there called?
Rome started out as a group of small villages in 750BCE that gradually came together to form the city of Rome. The people were called Latins.
By 120 CE how big was the Roman Empire?What was it’s population? For how many years did the Empire last?
By AD 120 the Roman Empire included much of Western Europe and stretched to the Middle East across North Africa. It had a population of 50 million and it’s Empire lasted over 1000 years.
How do we know about the Romans?
From the Ruins of Roman Buildings such as the Colosseum, coins, statues, paintings, plays and written records by historians such as Pliny the Younger including books and histories wrote in Latin. Artifacts such as tools and weapons found perfectly preserved in Pompeii and Herculaneum.
What happened in August 79CE in Pompeii? What was the Outcome?
Mount Vesuvius erupted during August 79CE and the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed.
Who was Giuseppe Fiorelli? What did he do? What was his biggest achievement?
Giuseppe Fiorelli was an Italian Archaeologist who discovered the remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum his biggest achievement was the plaster casts he made of the dead.
Who was Pliny the younger?
Pliny the younger was a Roman Historian who wrote a record of the eruption at Vesuvius. We learn a lot from Pliny’s detailed account.
Why are Pompeii and Herculaneum so important to us now?
They are important to us now because they are preserved exactly as they were on the day the disaster happened.
Who ruled Rome at first? What replaced them?
At first kings ruled over Rome but this was soon replaced by a republic. The people of Rome could elect people to the senate
What were the two types of Roman citizens?
Patricians-were rich landowners
Plebeians-were the ordinary workers and farmers
Were all Romans citizens?
No. Slaves and Women were not Roman Citizens and could not vote in the senate.
What did slaves have to do?
Slaves belonged to their masters and had no rights
They had to work for no pay
They had to do what they were told
They fought as gladiators and raced chariots
Some slaves were educated, so they worked as teachers and slaves.
Who were the slaves?
Slaves were prisoners captured in foreign territories by the Roman army they were brought back to Rome to do all the hard work.
How long did a soldier have to serve in the Roman army?
20 years
Who were the auxilia?
The auxilia was made up of conquered armies and friendly tribes. They had to serve for twenty five years and then they would become Roman citizens.
What were the provinces?
The Romans controlled their empire by dividing it into provinces. The provinces were run by governors who paid huge taxes to Rome. Sea Routes and Good Roads made for good communication between Rome and the provinces.
How did Rome begin to be ruled by an Emperor?
Romans depended on their army generals to protect them.
Sometimes these generals became very popular and powerful.
One of these was Julius Caesar who lived around 50BCE
He gave cheap land to the unemployed and soon became so popular he was able to rule Rome without the senate.
Caesar was later killed by the senate and his adopted son Augustus became the first true Emperor.
Who’s job was it to control the Roman Empire?
The Army’s
Who could join the Roman Army?
Only Men
Only Citizens
Only over 20 year old’s
Soldiers were not supposed to get married while in the Roman Army
What was the equipment of a Roman Soldier?
Spear, Dagger, Shield, Pick, Shovel, Pot and Pan, Canvas, Long Poles, Tent Pole, Food Ration, Sandals, Sword, Armour, Helmet.
Why were Roman roads so dirty? What was placed on some Roman streets? Why?
Roman roads were dirty because people threw their human waste and rubbish out the window on to the streets. Stepping stones were placed on some Roman streets so people wouldn’t have to get their feet dirty.
Name the five main (rooms) in a villa?
Antrim Walled Garden Impluvium (shallow pool) Slave’s quarters Front rooms sometimes shops
What was a domus?
A villa in the town rather than in the country side.
Describe a Patricians house?
The domus or villa was surrounded by a high wall and there was very few windows. Inside the front door was a hall, open to the sky called the atrium. Other rooms opened off the Atrium such as bedrooms, dining rooms, reception rooms, slaves quarters, kitchens and storerooms.
The floors were decorated with Mosaics and there was little furniture.
What were Insulae?
Roman blocks of flats in which Plebeians lived they were usually four or five stories high with shops at street level. A whole family were cramped into one or two rooms. Piped water was only supplied to the bottom floor. The higher up you were the cheaper the rent. There were no indoor toilets people went to the public baths or used pots. These contents of these pots were thrown out the window on the streets.
It was too dangerous to cook inside the insulae so Plebians probably ate at the food shops called thermopolia.
Who was the head of the Roman Family? What could they do?
The father was the head of the Roman Family. They could beat their wives and children. They could sell them into slavery. When a baby was born the father decided whether it lived or died. They arranged all the marriages if their children.
What rights did Roman Women have?
Roman citizens could not become citizens or vote people to the senate. However many Roman Women were successful in business and many owned shops. They had equal rights to men in most jobs with the exception of the army they could be priestesses, hairdressers, midwives and even gladiators. Very rarely but sometimes doctors.
How were Roman Boys educated?
Most children did not go to school though almost all Roman children however went to an elementary school (Ludas) and learned to read and write. Boys from rich families might hav been taught by an educated slave. Others over the ages of 12/13 went to (Secondary) school.
What subjects did they learn?
Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Oratory (The art of public speaking)
