Chapter 5 - The Roman Empire Flashcards
Name two places remains of Rome were found
Pompeii and Herculaneum
When did Mount Vesuvius erupt?
79AD
Who were the citizens?
Freeborn Men and Women. They had the right to vote, find work and travel.
Who were the patricians?
Rich citizens. They owned the slaves.
Who were the plebeians?
Poor citizens.
Who were the slaves?
The slaves were owned by the patricians. They were not free and wore a tag with their masters name on it.
How did people become slaves? (4)
- Captured in battle.
- Bought and sold.
- Sentenced to slavery as a punishment for a crime.
- Born to slave families.
What jobs did slaves do?
Well Treated Slaves: Child carers, teachers, cooks or doctors.
Badly Treated Slaves: Manual labour in salt mines and quarries.
What is a manumission?
A ceremony held to celebrate a slaves freedom.
How were slaves set free?
They wore a straw cap called the cap of liberty and got tapped on the shoulder with a vindicta.
What is a domus?
Patrician house
What was the atrium?
An entrance hall with a pond that caught rainwater.
What was a peristyle?
A walled garden near the rear of the house.
What are murals?
Wall paintings.
What are mosaics?
Tiled patterns or pictures made on the floor.
Where do the plebeians live?
Insulae - high rise flats with no running water.
What were stepping stones used for?
Placed on the roads so people didn’t step on the dirt and rubbish thrown from windows above.
What was the Forum?
The forum was the marked place of Rome. People bought wine, bread, meat, fruit and vegetables. A road called the Via Sacra (Sacred Way) ran straight through the middle, where the Roman army sometimes marched.
What did the plebeians eat?
Normally ate lentil and barley soup or cheap cuts of meat stewed in vinegar. They were given free grain from the government called dole.
What the the patricians eat?
Starter: Stuffed olives, oysters, doormice.
Main course: Pig, boars head, ostrich and lobster.
Dessert: Honey cakes, dates, grapes and other fruit and nuts.
What did most Romans wear?
Tunic tied with a belt on the waist. Men wore a loose tunic just under the knees as women wore longer ones. Men wore togas over their tunics outdoors as women wore pallas outdoors. They both wore leather sandles. Only the emperor was aloud to wear purple.
What was the Circus Maximus?
A venue for chariot racing which held about 250,000 people. There was four teams, the race consisting of 7 laps around an oval track. They were strapped to their chariots and carried a knife to free themselves from any wreckage.
What was the Colleseum?
A amphitheater for gladiator fighting which held 50,000 people. Gladiators were slaves or criminals fighting for their freedom. The crowd decided their fate by cheering or booing. They won large sums of money if they won.
Why did people go to the baths?
To relax, talk and meet friends.
What were the rooms in the baths? (3)
Rooms in the baths: frigidarium (cold), tepidarium (warm), caldarium (hot).
What did the children write on in school?
Wax tablets.
What did boys study in grammar school?
Greek, History, Maths and Geography and the work of authors like Plato and Aristotle until were 16. Also oratory (public speaking).
What did children do after school?
Went to baths or played games. Played with marbles and rolling hoops. Made footballs by blowing up a pigs bladder.
At what ages did children marry?
Girls: 12 Boys: 14
Marriages were arranged by fathers. Girl returned bulla and toys on night before wedding.
Who were the gods the Romans worshipped? (6)
Jupiter - King Juno - Queen of the gods Mars - War Venus - Love Neptune - Sea Mercury - Messenger
What happened when a rich person died?
Laid in the atrium with a coin in their mouth. Rowed across the Styx to the other side (coin for ferry fare). Carried on litter next day in forum. Placed in a sarcophagus or urn.
What were the catacombs?
Underground passageways built by Christians where they buried people in walls and built churches.
Who was the last king of Rome?
Tarquin - hated so was overthrown in 150BC and Rome became a republic. A Senate was appointed called consults. It lasted 400 years.
Who struggled for power in 46BC?
Julius Caesar and Pompey. Caesar killed Pompey and took control but was killed later. His grandnephew Octavius took over and became Emperor Augustus (31BC-14AD).
What were legions?
Groups of about 4000 soldiers, which were broken into centuries (100 soldiers). Non citizens were in a reserve force called auxiliaries.
How long did a soldier usually serve for?
20-25 years.
What did the soldiers wear?
Steal helmet, wool tunic and a leather protective vest, hob-nailed sandals.
When did the Roman Empire collapse?
476AD
How did they discover concrete?
By mixing lime, water and ash from volcanoes.
How did they make roads?
A thick layer of sand was placed on the bottom covered by large stones which were covered in gravel. Smoothie paving stones were then fitted on top.
What were aqueducts?
The looked like large sloping bridges. They were built to bring water from mountains to the towns.
How did the central heating work?
A wood-burning furnace was lit in the cellar under the house. The warm air from the furnace spread to gaps in the walls and floorboards creating a cosy environment.
What was the shopping centre called?
Trajan’s Forum was built on five different levels with over 150 shops and a place for traders to put up their stalls.
Explain the calendar.
The year originally began on March 1st until 153BC when it was changed to January 1st. It was divided in 12 months, each named after Roman Gods and Emperors e.g. March - Mars, July - Julius Ceasar.
