Final Exam IDs Flashcards
1
Q
The Dark Age “basileus”
A
- Dark Age: 1150-750 BC; disappeared in the Archaic period
- Chieftain, local ruler or administrator whose role it was to pass judgment in their communities
- They were blessed by the gods but did not have absolute power and could fall from grace quickly.
- Significance: Bear similarities to Roman senators in the Roman Republic since they had to compete with others for the position and were typically good orators, much like Cicero was
- Like Roman senators, they were wealthy members of society who achieved positions of power but who did not have absolute power.
- Significance: Leaders, but not tyrants, wanted legitimacy, set a precedent for election / democratic values and not transferred to next of kin.
2
Q
Do ut des
A
- ‘I give in order that you give’
- A relationship of obligation which can exist between patrons and clients, gods and their subjects. For example, people will perform rituals and make sacrifices to a god in order to gain their favour.
- This idea is pervasive in polytheistic ancient societies. An example of this idea’s significance can be seen in the mid 3rd century AD in Rome where all inhabitants of the Roman empire are obliged to offer sacrifices to the gods (whether they believe in them or not) so that the gods favour and help the Roman empire.
3
Q
Euergetism
A
- A reciprocal relationship between a benefactor who provides a benefit and a recipient who honours the benefactor
- The benefactions often took the form of protection, freedom, or money and the honours often took the form of statues, ruler cults of the benefactor or decrees of praise - Euergetism was often practiced by Hellenistic rulers.
- Overall, euergetism was a way for rulers to gain legitimacy and was particularly seen with Hellenistic monarchs who wished to rule over empires and who wished to be deified, in turn increasing their legitimacy
- On the recipients’ end, this allowed them to apply some social pressure on monarchs in order to benefit themselves.
- Similar tactics can be seen amongst Roman senators who fed poor people in their area so that they would be elected, and Roman emperors who funded gladiatorial games and other entertainment in order to be liked by the masses.
4
Q
Freedpeople
A
- People who were once slaves but were freed. In Roman society, slaves automatically obtained Roman citizenship upon being freed and were part of the paterfamilias of the master who freed them
- But does the status of ‘freedperson’ really indicate freedom? Freedpeople were expected to stay loyal to their former owner, now patron, meaning they still were obliged to their patron in some sense.
- However, Freedpeople had great social mobility in the Imperial Roman Empire and could hold political offices in towns and could become priests for the imperial cult
- Additionally, because they were part of the paterfamilias of their patron, they had access to more wealth than the average Roman citizen had, allowing for more social mobility
5
Q
Hellenization
A
- The process of cultural imitation and fusion between Greek and non-Greek cultures. A term often used to describe the imitation of Greek culture in the Hellenistic period.
- Examples of Hellenization are religious syncretism, for example, the union or reconciliation of Egyptian gods with Greek gods (Adonis = Osiris).
- Hellenization or attempts to Hellenize non-Greek populations could result in push-back from the non-Greeks (as seen with the Judean revolts against the Seleucids).
- Hellenization may have aimed to assimilate non-Greeks into Greek culture, but in reality, it ended up ostracizing those who could not appear Greek.
6
Q
Helots
A
- Social caste in Sparta; slaves owned by the state.
- People conquered by Sparta typically became Helots. Helots performed the labour which allowed Spartan society to be wealthy without Spartans having to work for it.
- Helots were so vital to Spartan society because their labour allowed Spartans to have everything they needed without working all day and thus allowed them to train to fight all day, allowing them to become excellent warriors.
- It was important that the Spartans were excellent warriors not only so that they could win battles but so that they could deter any helot uprisings, since the helots massively outnumbered Spartans and a successful uprising would threaten the Spartan way of life.
- This was seen when the Thebans freed many helots in 370 BC and the Spartans could not restore their power
7
Q
Princeps
A
- Augustus was the first to proclaim himself princeps (translating to ‘first-citizen’) in 27 BC (late 1st century BC).
- Under this title, Augustus portrayed himself as a moral leader, although he was additionally and inarguably a political one.
- The fact that Augustus used this title instead of the title of the emperor is significant because it is this which allowed him to essentially rule as a sole emperor under the guise of “restoring the Republic”.
- This façade would continue until Vespasian, in 69 AD would be the first to use the title of the emperor (Imperator).
8
Q
Ruler cults
A
- An important tactic for Hellenistic rulers to gain legitimacy as rulers. It was typically part of euergetism; where a ruler would provide benefits for their subjects if their subjects honoured them or, in this case, worshipped them as a god in order to provide them with legitimacy.
- It was much less important that people actually believed in ruler cults and more important that they perform rituals and build temples which are part of the ruler cult in order to outwardly promote the legitimacy of their Hellenistic ruler.
- This is a testament to how unstable ruling was in the Hellenistic period after Alexander the Great’s death, since if you were a ruler who appeared to be without legitimacy, another ruler would inevitably claim that you had to right to rule over your empire and would go to war with you in an attempt to take over your empire for themselves.
9
Q
The tribune of the plebs
A
- Political position in the Roman Republic originating in the 5th century BC
- Supposed to intervene in the senate on plebian matters. In the 2nd-3rd centuries BC, the tribune of the plebs had typically done what the senate wanted them to do.
- In the early-mid 2nd century BC, the Gracchi brothers become tribune of the pleb shortly after one another. After proposing and instating laws which benefitted the plebians but the senate was opposed to, the older Gracchus brother was murdered by a senatorial mob. The younger Gracchus brother did a similar thing and was deemed an enemy of the state and was killed in Rome.
o These were the first instances which began a pattern of Roman civil violence. In a time of utmost civil violence (under Sulla), power would be stripped away from the tribune of the plebs, likely in order to stop the tribune of the plebs from opposing the senate and what Sulla wanted.
10
Q
The battle of Leuctra
A
- Date: 371 BC
- Battle fought between the Boeotians (led by Thebes) and the Spartans. Sparta takes a massive loss.
- The Thebans had freed the Spartan helots, and Sparta was unable to recover from this loss.
- Spartan loss in this battle was significant because Sparta ceased to be the hegemon of the Greek world and Thebes took that role.
- Sparta’s loss in this battle demonstrates just how dependant they were on helots and how they could not maintain their military superiority without them.
11
Q
The battle of Thermopylae
A
- Date: 480 BC (2nd Persian war)
Definition: Battle during Persian Wars at pass of Thermopylae, between Greeks and Persians - Relevance: Greeks hold pass of Thermopylae to prevent Persians from entering Greece
- Greeks lost, 300 Spartans stayed behind and fought until death
- Allowed Persians to capture and burn Athens
- Significance: demonstrates effectiveness of phalanx in Greek territory
- Herodotus on Thermopylae - contributes to legend surrounding Spartan warriors
12
Q
Catiline’s conspiracy
A
- Date: 63 BC
- Attempted coup d’état to overthrow the Roman senate with Cicero as one consul. After Catiline lost the election for consulship, he assembled a group of disgruntled aristocrats, war veterans, and others to try and take the consulship by force. Cicero exposed the conspiracy and had some of the conspirators executed
- Eventually, Cataline was defeated in battle.
- Culmination of civil violence in Rome
- Executing Roman citizens (something not typically done) – Caesar rose through the ranks during this time, was against execution of Roman citizens (suggested trial and life imprisonment)
13
Q
Cleisthenes’ Reforms
A
- Date: 508 BC
- “The creation of Athenian democracy”
- 10 tribes composed of hill, city, and coast people
- Assembly where all citizens gathered to vote on laws
- Significance: created after tyranny of Pisistratus and his sons; goal was to avoid tyranny.
- Still some kinks to iron out: ex. Biased towards the rich because the poor could not afford to leave their work in the middle of the day to go to the assembly (ekklesia) and vote
- Introduction of ostracism (power to the people, no tyranny)
14
Q
Constantine’s Conversion
A
- Date: 312 AD
- Eusebeius writes that Constantine won a battle and became a Christian convert because he thinks that (the singular Christian) God helped him win the battle
- Befoe this Christianity had been punishable in the Roman empire
- How genuine or complete was Constantine’s conversion? Still polytheistic symbols in Constantine’s triumphal arch and on his coins (with no Christian imagery)
- Beginning of Christianity gaining power in the Roman empire
- He did not make Christianity the official religion, but he issued an edict making it no longer prosecutionable. After this, there was only ever one more non-Christian emperor (Constantine left 3 Christians as successors)
15
Q
The Fall of the Western Roman Empire
A
- Date: 476 AD
- Germanic tribes were conquering many provinces → The emperor did not have the resources or power to fight back or bribe them away → The economic situation had been in decline for a long time because coins were losing value
- It was a long decline, caused by a poor economy, poor management of armies on the frontiers, emperors losing their legitimacy, and eventually it officially fell when the last emperor, Romulus Augustulus was forced to flee by a Germanic governor, who took over
- Significance: freed western Europe from the rule of a single power
