Final Flashcards
Etruscans
They were a people in Italy. Their civilization started around 700 B.C between the Arno and Tiber Rivers in Italy. They contributed much of their culture and ideas to the Romans, such as arches, an early version of aqueducts, gridded cities, and temples. They also controlled Rome for a while, forcing the 7 villages on the hills of Rome to consolidate into the city proper, and draining the marshes between them to make the Forum.
Tarquinius Superbus
He was the last king of archaic Rome, in Rome, around the late 6th century B.C. He was notably a bad king, and after one of his sons raped a noblewoman, his family was run out of town. This led to the formation of the Roman republic, and the Romans strict hatred of monarchy.
Conflict of the Orders
It was a gradual process that took place in Rome, which consisted of the plebs being integrated more and more into the political offices of Rome. It lasted from the early 5th to early 3rd centuries B.C, during which plebs first left the city and set up their own council. After many concessions, the plebs were allowed to hold office, had their own office called tribunes, with the power of veto, and the equestrians could even run for praetor and consular (and hold the dictatorship!). A law code was also established, called the Twelve Tables, which provided limits on the patricians’ power and protected the plebs.
Municipia
By the mid to late 4th century B.C, Rome controlled many cities in central Italy and needed a way to manage them all. Some cities in Italy, called Municipia, were given the full rights of citizens but were unable to vote.
1st Punic War
It was a war fought against Carthage in the mid 3rd century B.C. This showcased the first appearance of the Roman navy and their modified corvus triremes. The Romans first tried to attach Carthage directly, but when that proved disastrous instead blockaded Sicily. When the Carthaginian troops started starving, Carthage sued for peace.
Hannibal
He was a Carthaginian general during the late 3rd century B.C. He led the army of Carthage through the Alps after Rome declared the 2nd Punic War, and with the help of the Celts managed to deal defeat after defeat to the Romans within Italy itself. Scipio Africanus, however, attacked Carthage directly, putting it under siege and forcing Hannibal to return, where Scipio soundly defeated him.
2nd Punic War
After Hannibal attacked an ally of Rome in 218 B.C, the Romans declared war against Carthage. After leading his army through the Alps into Italy, Hannibal and his army soundly trumped the Romans again and again, with the Macedonians also attacking Rome, but after Scipio Africanus put Carthage under siege, Hannibal was forced to return and was soundly defeated by Scipio.
Scipio Africanus
He was a Roman general during the 2nd Punic War, in the late 3rd century B.C. In light of Hannibal’s winning streak in Italy, he attacked Carthage itself and put it under siege. When Hannibal was recalled to deal with it, he defeated him, earning the title Africanus.
3rd Punic War
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Patria Potestas
In Rome and Roman society, it was the absolute authority of the oldest male in an extended family over the rest of the family members. This tradition lasted through the entire republic and empire. The patria had authority over family members, owned everything in the family, and could even have them executed.
Dignitas
In Rome, it was a complex idea, a mix of dignity, honor, and power, which lasted throughout the history of Rome, although it became less important in the late empire. Typically, dignitas was obtained through following the proper political pathways in the Republic, obtaining more dignitas as one rose higher. But wars also granted massive amounts of dignitas and, unlike the politicians who always had to share it the dignitas, it was concentrated into one single individual. This eventually led to the accumulation of vast amounts of dignitas and therefore power by one man, paving the way to the fall of the republic.
Promagistracies
They were officials in the Roman Empire, in the provinces. By the late 2nd century B.C, Rome was the master of a vast empire, but its government was designed for only a single city state. So, in order to manage the vast provinces and solve the praetor shortage, ex-praetors and consulars were allowed to keep their powers in order to govern provinces. These positions had two year terms and were renewed by the Senate instead of the people, further upsetting the cursus honorum and contributing to the downfall of the republic through the accumulation of dignitas.
Latifundia
In the late 2nd century B.C, these plantation like farms first began appearing in central Italy. Managed by the Roman elite, these farms were massive and worked by slaves captured in wars. While they did lower food prices, they also put the middle class farmers out of business. This led to the military crisis, as the farmers could no longer meet the wealth requirements, and the reforms of the Gracci brothers.
Tiberius Gracchus
In the 130s B.C, he was elected a tribune in Rome. He tried to solve the military crisis by taking land from the rich and distributing it to the poor, but was consistently blocked. He tried to run for a second tribuneship, but was killed in a riot on election day. However, he paved the way for others to try to upset the cursus honorum with second terms.
Gaius Gracchus
He was the little brother of Tiberus, and in the 120s B.C. was also elected tribune. He instituted several reforms, such as the establishment of colonies for the poor and landless and the reforming of the courts dealing with Senatorial corruption, and was elected to a second tribuneship. However, when he tried to run a third time, he was killed on election day. His legacy, that one could violate the cursus honorum if they had enough support, further paved the way for the fall of the republic.
Gaius Marius
He was a politician in Rome in the late 2nd and early 1st centuries B.C. He pretty much single handedly solved the military crisis by eliminating the wealth requirement, using state funds to purchase equipment, and promising booty to soldiers. He was also elected consul 7 times, completely destroying the cursus honorum, and got into a massive fight with Sulla, during which both his supporters and Sulla’s were slaughtered. However, he died in office before the conflict could escalate further.
L. Cornelius Sulla
He was a military general in the early 1st century B.C. He led an army against Mithridates, was declared an enemy of the state by Marius, and marched on Rome twice. The second time, he set himself up as perpetual dictator, but then voluntarily stepped down later. This forecast grave things for the republic.
Pompey
He was a military general in Rome during the mid 1st century B.C. He had massive amounts of dignitas from his various military campaigns, and was elected consul without having ever held office, shattering the cursus honorum once again. He was given vast military command, first dealing with Mediterranean pirates and then conquering most of Asia Minor and the Jewish kingdoms. He joined in the First Triumvirate with Crassus and Caesar, but was betrayed by Caesar, defeated, and then beheaded in Egypt.
Julius Caesar
He was a politician in Rome in the mid 1st century B.C. He joined in the First Triumvirate with Crassus and Pompey, and was elected consular. After that, he became proconsul in Northern Italy, invading Gaul to increase his dignitas. After Crassus died, Pompey tried to recall him but was betrayed, and Caesar took over Rome. He proceeded to become dictator for life, act like a king, and then get assassinated, and basically caused the Republic to fall.
