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Bread and Circuses in Ancient Rome > Definitions > Flashcards

Definitions Flashcards

1
Q

Pater familias

A

Man - Head of the household

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2
Q

Which story shows Pomerium?

A

Romulus and Remus

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3
Q

Pomerium

A

Sacred nature of safety of the city

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4
Q

How does Romulus and Remus show Pomerium?

A

Remus taunts Pomerium by jumping over the city wall Romulus is building. Romulus needed to be understood as pater familias so had to kill Remus for defiling the sacred nature of the city

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5
Q

Imperium

A

Legal authority over Roman citizens

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6
Q

Euergetism

A

The wealthy/ elite would gift the town monuments etc in return for public honour

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7
Q

Forum Boarium

A

The first market for Rome, the cattle market

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8
Q

What did Pliny the Elder write?

A

The natural history of Rome

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9
Q

Who was Pliny the Elder?

A

A senator and statesman

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10
Q

How does Pliny the Elder describe Rome?

A

As a series of monuments

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11
Q

Domus

A

Elite houses built on hillsides on top of Rome

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12
Q

Insulas

A

Apartment like complexes for less wealthy to live in - not independent structures

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13
Q

What did the less wealthy live in?

A

Insulas

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14
Q

What did the more wealthy live in?

A

Domus

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15
Q

What did the less wealthy have to build in their houses?

A

Hearths

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16
Q

Who is Vitruvius?

A

A roman architect who wrote about design

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17
Q

Tablinum

A

A room next to the atrium and opposite the entrance to a house - essential to presentation of elite hosuehold

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18
Q

What room was essential to the presentation of an elite household?

A

Tablinum

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19
Q

Gens

A

Roman word for a kinship group

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20
Q

Patricians

A

Traced their history all the way back to Romulus

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21
Q

Plebians

A

Roman but not historical

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22
Q

What is the new man concept?

A

The idea that slowly the wealthiest of the plebians become members of the aristocracy

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23
Q

Imagines

A

wax death masks of the deceased

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24
Q

Who typically wore imagines?

A

Slaves

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25
Q

Columbarium

A

A mock household that represents the burial site for the family

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26
Q

What do families do at the columbarium?

A

Offer sacrifices

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27
Q

Necropolis

A

Ancient burial ground “city of the dead”

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28
Q

Where does columbarium take place?

A

At the necropolis

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29
Q

Pietas

A

Respect for your family (Including dead family members)

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30
Q

Marcus Tullius Cicero - what is each part of the name?

A

Tullius - family name of the gens
Marcus - praenomen
Cicero - cognomen

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31
Q

Praenomen

A

A person’s first or personal name

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32
Q

Cognomen

A

A nickname/ third personal name passed down from father to son

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33
Q

Cnaeus Cornelius Scipio Africanus - name parts

A

Cnaeus - praenomen
Cornelius - gens name
Africanus - he was a commander during a campaign in North Africa
Scipio - his father had created a name for himself

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34
Q

Pietas

A

Religious respect of one’s family

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35
Q

Which story shows Pietas?

A

Aeneas fleeing Troy with his dad over one shoulder and household Gods under one arm, his son clings to his robe. His wife is separated and killed - leads to him remarrying

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36
Q

Who is given the title Pater Patriae?

A

Augustus

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37
Q

Pater Patriae

A

Father of the country

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38
Q

Alumnus

A

Adopting children from other families

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39
Q

Patria Potestas

A

Wives follow the rules of their fathers, not their husbands

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40
Q

Marriage in Manus

A

Rare marriage where husband is given authority over the wife rather than the father

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41
Q

Dowry

A

Transfer of property/ status from wife’s family to husband at time of marriage

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42
Q

Usufruct

A

Allowed someone to benefit from someone else’s property/ wealth for a period of time

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43
Q

Husband’s usufruct ownership of land

A

Husband is allowed to benefit from wife’s property/ slaves/ land, but she retains ownership of it all incase he dies or divorces.

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44
Q

Patron

A

Wealthy elite member of society who mentors less wealthy

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45
Q

Client

A

Follows and learns from the more wealthy in society

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46
Q

Matrona

A

When men are absent from the household, women take over their clients and fill in as a patron

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47
Q

What is the chief value that women represented in society?

A

Pudicitia

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48
Q

Pudicitia

A

Sexual chastity of a woman

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49
Q

Virtus

A

The concept of manliness - bravery on battlefield and internal excellence

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50
Q

Tarpeia

A

The woman who opens the gates to the Sabine soldiers during Livvy’s early Roman history

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51
Q

Ius Osculum

A

“Polite kiss on the cheek”

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52
Q

Alia Potestas

A

Authority of the matrona - women are involved in management of the family household, property and clients - celebrated in society

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53
Q

Lex oppia

A

A wealth tax that restricted women on what they could wear

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54
Q

What were women restricted to wear/ do through Lex Oppia?

A

More than half an ounce of gold, purple and blue robes, also couldn’t ride horses through the city

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55
Q

Bona Dea

A

The good goddess - a set of religious rituals enacted by elite women - no men allowed

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56
Q

Where was the Bona Dea held?

A

The Pontifex Maximus

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57
Q

Pontifex maximus

A

The priests house

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58
Q

Meretrix

A

Prostitute

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59
Q

Infamais

A

Degraded status because of their occupation

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60
Q

Examples of Infamais

A

Prostitutes
Slaves
Anyone with no legal personality in Roman law

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61
Q

Coriolanus

A

Roman general from 5th century BC

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62
Q

Volumnia

A

Wife of Coriolanus - actress and dancer

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63
Q

Galen

A

Professional physician

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64
Q

Amanuensis

A

A specialised slave, like a personal secretary

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65
Q

What does Amenuensis highlight?

A

The difference between the free and slaves

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66
Q

Res Mortalis

A

Slaves are property with a life span/ talking tools

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67
Q

Familia

A

Slaves are described as familia - a group of people who descend from the same place

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68
Q

Pedanius Secundus

A

Murdered by one of his slaves during the reign of Nero

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69
Q

Peculium

A

An allowance that domestic slaves get from their masters that they would typically save up to buy their freedom

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70
Q

Latifundia

A

Plantation style estates run by slaves that most slaves outside of the city were a part of

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71
Q

Delos

A

Island in the Greek east where there was a lively slave market - slaves from eastern Europe gather here to be shipped off to larger cities.

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72
Q

Mos maiorum

A

The habits you have are a reflection on your ancestry

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73
Q

What proportion of slaves are male?

A

2/3

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74
Q

Paedogogus

A

A typically male slave that was educated enough to take on the role of tutor for children (free and slaves) in the household.

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75
Q

Amanuensis

A

Highly trained literate and educated slave that was like a personal assistant

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76
Q

Temperantia

A

Your ability to self control

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77
Q

Quote which shows Temperantia

A

“A philosopher should own slaves because it is a test of your restraint”

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78
Q

Saturnalia

A

A holiday where traditionally slave owners would serve their slaves - only occured when slave owners treated their slaves well

79
Q

Parentalis

A

The festival where you celebrated your ancestors

80
Q

Mucius Scaevola

A

He asked the senate to be granted leave to escape the city whilst it was besieged. he kills the high priest instead.

81
Q

Porcina

A

A Truscean army

82
Q

Cassuidorus

A

He wrote a text on the soul called the de anima - you can read a person with a pure, untainted soul

83
Q

Cinaedus (The person)

A

A man who chose to take a passive role in sex with another man

84
Q

Pneuma

A

The matter of the soul is evenly distributed because men have larger pores

85
Q

Asceticism

A

A denial of bodily pleasure and bodily desires - people who practiced this are now referred to as monks and hermits

86
Q

Hagiohraphy

A

The biographies of holy people

87
Q

Cinaedus (The term)

A

The feminine role in sex (heavily stigmatised)

88
Q

Raptio

A

Rape - Does not legally mean the violation of the body - applies to women who were removed from the control of their designated male protector

89
Q

Hostius Quadra

A

So willing as a cinaedus partner that he set up mirrors to watch himself

90
Q

Vir

A

A man in the political class

91
Q

Futuere

92
Q

Titular

A

Romans had a set of 15 Gods that they regarded as titular deities

93
Q

Titular deities

A

Gods believed to be intimately connected to the protection of the city of Rome

94
Q

The Fasti

A

A calendar of festivals - holidays when the urban population would show its respect to the Gods to whom they owed the protection of the city

95
Q

Do ut des

A

A prayer - I give something to God in order that you might give in return

96
Q

Magna mater

A

The great mother - A goddess who protects governments and cities

97
Q

Quindecim Uiri Sacris Faciundis

A

The 15 guys who do holy things - a priesthood who was assigned to consult greek books

98
Q

Cult

A

Believed that every human being had a guardian spirit called genius assigned to them at birth

99
Q

Genius

A

A guardian spirit assigned to you at birth

100
Q

Flamines

A

The most influential people in local communities

101
Q

Lararium

A

Places where images of that family’s Gods were kept

102
Q

Lares

A

Ghosts of ancestors

103
Q

Penates

A

Household Gods worshiped by a family

104
Q

Mithras

A

A Persian cult which gradually over time became appropriated by Roman soldiers/ freedmen

105
Q

Controversia

A

Some kind of legal conundrum - ask the writer to argue against something that is already an established custom

106
Q

Oea

A

A small north African city outside of Alexandria

107
Q

Paideia

A

Being educated

108
Q

Quintilian

A

He wrote a whole treatise on how to teach - devices to aid memorisation

109
Q

Mos Maiorum

A

The body of ethics/ ethical wisdom you should acquire from your family

110
Q

Grammarian

A

Teaches you to unlearn the Latin or Greek that the slaves in your household are using - acquire a more classified diction

111
Q

Carvilius

A

Offered instruction for a fee - taught basic literacy and math

112
Q

Exegesis

A

The unpacking of a text for its moral meaning

113
Q

Rhetor

A

Someone you study with after you serve your military service

114
Q

Declamation

A

Performative type of education used by Rhetors

115
Q

Carneades

A

The head of the academy in Athens - went to Rome and gave a series of delerations

116
Q

Gretia Capta Ferum Victorem Cepit

A

Rome conquered the Greek country but Greece conquered the Romans

117
Q

Varro

A

Regarded as the most learned Roman - wrote over 650 books on 70 different topics

118
Q

Second Sophistic

A

Respectability of Greek literature in this time

119
Q

The change in Virtus

A

At the time of Cicero, it takes on the idea of interior excellence as a by product of paideia

120
Q

Ars Amatoria

A

Ars = art/ technique/ skill
Ovid is playing with the idea of the art of love

121
Q

Pudor

A

Shame
- The spreading of second hand shame

122
Q

Seruitium Amoris

A

Being enslaved by love

123
Q

Aneas

A

The trojan prince who leads the surviving trojans to Italy and found Rome. Falls in love with Dido, but has to fulfil his duty

124
Q

Dido

A

Falls in love with Aneas but he has to leave to fulfil his duty in Rome, she commits suicide and curses Aneas

125
Q

Paetus

A

Accused of treason against the emperor.
Emperor invites him to commit suicide so that he can pass his property down to his children.

126
Q

Arria

A

Paetus (her husband) cannot bring himself to commit suicide so she stabs herself and tells him it doesn’t hurt and encourages him to do it so his property can be passed down to his kids.

127
Q

Luxuria

128
Q

Cena

129
Q

Cena Otium

A

Dinner parties where you practice Otium

130
Q

Otium

A

Engage in literary studies and philosophy - poetry etc

131
Q

Negotium

A

Public life - the service you offer your clients

132
Q

Opes

A

Wealth as something productive and reasonable rather than feeding your sensual appetite

133
Q

Censor

A

Pinnacle of public career - assess the morality of your peers

134
Q

Torquere

A

To twist or torture - people who become unbalanced by luxuria will go to all ends to twist the natural order of things

135
Q

Cave Canum

A

Large mosaic of a dog at entrance to house which frightens guests

136
Q

Fasces

A

Double-headed axe bound with sticks

137
Q

Rostrum

A

Public symbol associated with public office
The wealthy had them all over their furniture

138
Q

Cursus Publicus

A

For governmental use to be able to send dispatches and news through couriers

139
Q

Otium

A

Leisure time

140
Q

Negotium

A

Business activities

141
Q

Augustus

A

Held power long enough successfully that by the time he dies people had forgotten what republican government was like and what it was like to share political power

142
Q

Imperium

A

Legal constitution power you have over other citizens

143
Q

Imperator

A

Honorific title - where our word for emperor comes from

144
Q

Augur

A

Studies Augury - interpretation of the will of the Gods

145
Q

Princeps

A

Leading citizen - where our word for prints comes from

146
Q

Primus Inter Pares

A

The act of refusing real authority becomes a pattern in dictators

147
Q

Suffect Consuls

A

The people that the emperor would share office with

148
Q

Donative

A

When a new emperor comes to power they give the military a cash bonus

149
Q

Lex de Imperio

A

Transition of power to the Emperor - imperium - power over everything

150
Q

Clipeus Virtutis

A

Senate awards Augustus with this Gold shield - honorary gift celebrating the virtues he held - virtus, clementia, iustitia, pietas.

151
Q

Spectacula

A

A small host of different kinds of public celebrations - events that bring the whole urban population together

152
Q

Ciuilitas

A

Civilisation

153
Q

Luci Sceanici

A

Theatre performances - “games of the stage”

154
Q

Munera

A

A gift/ offering at gladitorial events

155
Q

Ludi Circenses

A

The hippodrome - games in the circuses

156
Q

Venationes

A

Wild animal hunts

157
Q

Nika Revolt 532

A

Politically charged spectacle

158
Q

Velabra

A

Sails that extend out over the colosseum to protect the spectators from sunlight

159
Q

Ad Bestiam

A

Was executed by being torn apart by animals

160
Q

Mimes

A

Often served in highly sexualised roles

161
Q

Damnatio Memoriae

A

Being publicly disallowed
Happened with Nero - any laws/ pictures/ monuments associated with them were removed

162
Q

Trajan

A

The person under whom the the political careers of Pliny and Tacticus came into full maturity.

163
Q

Imperator Scaenicus

A

Insult meaning emperor on the stage - acting performances

164
Q

Tramalcio

A

Had elaborate dinner parties with the dogs head mosaic but does it all wrong

165
Q

Culleus

A

When a child has killed a parent they must be harshly punished - they are tied into a sack with a snake, monkey, dog and chicken and thrown into the Tiber river to drown

166
Q

Tarpeian Rock

A

Cliff on the capital line that people convicted if treason would be tossed off of

167
Q

Mamertine Prison

A

Whilst awaiting trial you are assigned to confinement in your patrons house, but if you could not find someone to vouch for you, you would be tossed in a well to wait

168
Q

Convicium

A

A shouting out together
Lucretia kills herself and people bring her body out so everyone can see what was done to her

169
Q

Occentatio

A

The next stop of Convicium - if you are shamed you go to your patron who sends thugs/ slaves to beat up the person shaming you

170
Q

Collegia

A

Unofficial associations for people without patrons - but they cannot represent you legally

171
Q

Vigiles

A

Watchmen, unarmed that could apprehend people

172
Q

Castrum

A

A mobile camp - army marched with 4 foot stakes so that when they stopped they can build a fortress

173
Q

De Amicitia and De Senectute

A

On friendship and old age

174
Q

Amicitia

A

Something that applies to your social peer

175
Q

Natura

A

A philosophical concept of not just the natural world but also the entire cosmos as it was shaped by a divine wall

176
Q

Laelia and Cato the Elder

A

Serve as presentations of De Amicitia and De Senecute

177
Q

Lucan

A

A poet who wrote about Civil war

178
Q

Res Publica Restituta

A

The notion that he restored the republic to its original pristine foundations

179
Q

Tiberius Gracchus

A

133 BC
Was beaten to death with chairs on the capital line

180
Q

Optimates

A

Members of the aristocracy who championed the traditional privileges of the senate

181
Q

Populares

A

The same members of the governing class who at least postured to support the needs and the will of the common people.

182
Q

The legion

A

About 5,000 men

183
Q

The cohort

A

A subdivision of the Legion of about 500 men

184
Q

The maniple

A

A division of 100 men from the Legion

185
Q

Natio

A

Place of birth

186
Q

Barbarus

A

Reference to people who are something other than Romans - less than Roman, less than civilised.

187
Q

Antonine Constitution

A

Granted citizenship to everyone in the empire including slaves

188
Q

Hypocraties

A

Greeks developed a typology for ethnic groups based on body type which the Romans picked up on

189
Q

Ammianus Mascellinus

A

Tells us most of what we know about 4th century BC
Described Gallics and Roman military

190
Q

Constantine

A

An imperial reign - acknowledged Christianity, converted to it, then died

191
Q

Imitatio Christi

A

Imitation of christ in order to gain holiness

192
Q

Jerome

A

Biblical scholar from Gaul who spent time in Rome under the Bishop Damisus

Bread and Circuses in Ancient Rome (2 decks)

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