Chapter 6- Ancient Rome Flashcards
patricians
wealthy landowners
held most of the power
plebeians
common farmers, artisans, and merchants
majority of the population
republic
form of government in which power rests with citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders
tribunes
plebeians representatives
they formed own assembly
protected rights of plebeians from unfair acts of patricians
consuls
Rome’s 2 officials
commanded an army and directed the government
1 yr term and one consul can veto other
senate
aristocratic branch of romes government
dictator
republic could appoint In times of crisis
leader who had absolute power to make laws and command army
usually power only 6 months
legions
large military units
Roman soldiers organized into
Punic wars
Roma and carthage’s long struggling wars
3 wars, Rome claims victory
Hannibal
brilliant military strategist
Carthaginian general
had a big army, Calvary, 60 elephants
surprised attack on Rome
civil war
conflict between groups within the same country
Julius Caesar
military leader
joined forces w Crassus(wealthy Roman) and pompey(general)
he appointed dictator for life
triumvirate
group of 3 rulers
Augustus
Octavian
unchallenged ruler of Rome
“exalted one”
Pax Romana
“Roman peace”
period of peace and prosperity under Agustus
Jesus
born in bethlaham in Judea
A Jew raised in Nazareth
baptized by John the Baptist
apostles
Jesus 12 original disciples
Paul
apostle
enemy of Christianity then saw vision of Christ and spread christs teachings
diaspora
dispersal of the Jews
most driven from their homeland when trying to break off from Romans
Constantine
Roman emperor
fought 3 rivals for leadership of Rome
declared end of persecution of Christians
bishop
priest who supervised several local churches
Peter
apostle, traveled to Rome from Jerusalem and became 1st bishop there
the priests and bishops traced the authority to him
pope
father or head of Christian church
claimed Peter first pope
inflation
drastic drop in value of money coupled with a rise in prices
mercenaries
foreign soldiers who fought for money
accepted lower pay
not loyal to empire
Diocletian
strong willed army leader became emperor doubled army size split empire into Eastern and western he ruled east
Constantinople
capital of Rome “city of Constantine”
was Byzantium
atilla
Huns powerful chieftain
guns United under Attila
famine and disease kept Huns from conquering
but took blows to Roman Empire
Greco-Roman culture
mixing elements of Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman culture
“classical civilization”
Pompeii
Roman town
mt Vesuvius erupted and covered town
preserved buildings and art
Virgil
poet
spent 10 years writing famous Latin lit “aenid”
Tacticus
Roman historian
presented accurate facts
about Romes good and bad
aqueducts
designed by Roman engineers to bring water into cities and towns
arches held up the aqueducts
