General Flashcards
Broad history: important years?
1000-600 BCE: Archaic community
600-500 BCE: Kings
500-31 BCE: The Republic, subdivided into Early, (til 275) Middle, (til 146) and Late.
31 BCE-476 CE: The Empire
Paradoxical aspects of Roman society?
Never truly democratic, like Athens.
Always characterized by significant inequality: always had slaves, always had an elite class.
gens
Clan. Plural: gentes.
patricians
Elite families. In the fifth century BCE, they acquired a “lock” on the consulship
plebeians
A member of the plebs. General citizens in Rome, though some did become wealthy and influential.
paterfamilias
Head of household
Household deities?
Lares and penates.
Ways of seeing what the gods want?
Haruspicy (inspection of entrails) and auspicy (watching birds)
lictor
Bodyguards to those with imperium. Hold fasces (bundle of wooden rods sometimes with an axe)
praetor
A magistracy developed out of the consulship. Takes over some military and judicial duties.
quaestor
Financial officer
aediles
In charge of public works and festivals, provision of grain.
censors
Four-year office. Keep track of citizens and property for tax purposes. Have the effective ability to purge members from the Senate.
senate
A group of old (“sen”) guys. Membership is for life. Under the Republic, tended to be former holders of magistracies. Very great informal influence.
centuriate assembly
People divided into “centuries” based on property. The wealthy get much more weight.
tribal assembly(s?)
Either one or two assemblies. In third century, attained power to make law. Voted for some officials.
Servian Wall
Associated with King Servius Tullius, but really built in response to the Gallic sack of Rome in 390 BCE.
Theme: divine origins of Rome
Manifested in: rape of Rhea Silvia, survival of abandoned twins.
Implications: significance of Mars (god of war) and divine plan for Rome.
Rhea Silvia
Legendary mother of Romulus and Remus. Forced to become a Vestal Virgin. Became pregnant and claimed she was raped by Mars.
Faustulus
Rescued Romulus and Remus after they’d been abandoned.
fabulae pallatiae
adaptations of Greek New Comedy. in greek setting
ludi
public festivals
Roman naming convention
Three parts: (tria nomina) praenomen, (given) nomen, (gens) cognomen (family within clan)
Sometimes had agnomen (nickname or honorific)
Women: feminine form of father’s nomen
cognati
blood relations
adfines
kin by marriage
agnati
blood relations through males. in manus marriage, wives enter agnati of husband
peculium
property that a family member under patria potestas is allowed by the paterfamilias to use
univira
of a woman: married once
sui iuris
independent - emancipated by paterfamilias
adulterium
sex between married woman and any man other than the husband
salutatio
clientes attend patronus as he walked to the forum
ager publicus
public land
Agrarian Problem
After Second Punic War, devastated land was bought up by the wealthy. Expanding power of elite and displacement of peasants
comitia tributa
Tribal Assembly
The Social War
Roman allies revolt after a measure to give all Italians citizenship was passed then repealed. Armies sent out under Marius and Sulla. Eventually everyone becomes a citizen.
proscription
Legal condemnation of enemies of the state
curator morum
overseer of morals
