KEY TERMS

Question 1

Donations of Alexandria

Answer 1

Mark Antony distributed lands held by Rome & Parthia to his children w/ Cleopatra; 34 BCE; revealed in his will which Octavian stole & made public

Question 2

Artavasdes

Answer 2

king of Armenia; captured by Antony when he reinvaded Armenia in 34; killed by Cleopatra after the Battle of Actium

Question 3

Oscan

Answer 3

A language spoken in central & southern Italy; had its own alphabet; Samnites are the best known Oscan speakers; Social War outcome meant that languages like Oscan became obsolete

Question 4

Sabellic languages

Answer 4

Osco-Umbrian languages; an extinct group of Italic languages –> replaced by Latin eventually

Question 5

Quintus Ennius

Answer 5

an epic poet, dramatist, “founder of Roman literature”; influenced Cicero, Vergil, etc.

Question 6

provocatio

Answer 6

the right of Roman citizen to appeal to the people against a magistrate’s judgement

Question 7

stipendium

Answer 7

tax, pay

Question 8

ager publicus

Answer 8

a law introduced by the tribune Tiberius Gracchus to regulate the use of “public land,” i.e. lands seized in Rome’s various wars, but not yet distributed to settlers/leased for revenue

a single individual was limited to occupying 500 iugera (300 acres) of public land; if the Roman gov. wanted to reclaim it, they had the right; the excess was distributed to landless Roman citizens; the remaining portions became occupiers’ private property & immune from further seizure

Question 9

What issues did ager publicus/Gracchan agrarian law aim to address?

Answer 9

1) Lack of army recruits: small-scale farmers who could not occupy land would flee, reducing soldiers for Rome’s army; this increased the burden of conscription as those who now occupied the land did not want to serve

2) large number of slaves on this land – potential for an uprising

Question 10

mos maiorum

Answer 10

an unwritten code from which the Romans derived their social norms; custom; not a written law, but as good as law

Question 11

Final Degree of the Senate / senatus consultum ultimum (SCU)

Answer 11

consul should do whatever necessary to preserve the political & social order w/out regard for the normal protections & rights for citizens

Question 12

optimates

Answer 12

those who followed the traditional ways within the senatorial order; making alliances w/ senators in order to further their careers; “the best people”

Question 13

populares

Answer 13

those who sought wider popularity among the citizen body; going outside of tradition

Question 14

Aventine Hill

Answer 14

where Gaius Gracchus killed himself in 121 BCE; long-associated with the plebs

Question 15

Battle of Trasimene (217)
Battle of Cannae (216)

Answer 15

2 major battles lost by the Romans, which motivated allies to defect & ally with Hannibal

Question 16

Outcomes of the Social War 91-87 BCE

Answer 16

fought between Rome & her allies
unified much of the Italian peninsula

• all Italians & Latins south of the Po valley were given citizenship
• introduced long-term instability into Roman politics
• Italian enfranchisement led to violent reactions & the rise of Sulla
• Sulla’s first March on Rome (88 BCE, before war’s end)

Question 17

Lex julia, 90 BCE

Answer 17

passed by Lucius Julius Caesar; grants citizenship to any Italians who remained loyal or put down their arms against Rome

Question 18

Sulla’s First March on Rome

Answer 18

88 BCE (when he was consul); Sulpicius (tribune) reassigned the battle against King Mithridates of Pontus from Sulla to Marius, at Marius’ request in order to gain Marius’ political backing. Marius wanted to regain his prestige & humilate Sulla, who had humiliated him first by taking credit for the capture of Jugurtha.

Sulla decides to take Rome by force. Most of his soldiers deserted him as they knew how illegal this was.

He swiftly took control bc Sulpicius, Marius, and the senate were taken by surprise. Declared these men enemies of the state. Shocking bc it made outlaws of Roman citizens w/out trial & allowed them to be hunted down. He departed for the East to fight Mithridates.

Question 19

Lex Oppia, 215 BCE

Answer 19

sumptuary law; severe losses in 2nd Punic War led to this; restricted how much material wealth a woman could display publicly; institution of this law shows how women actually did have a role within public life; repealed in 195

Question 20

Jugurthine War, 112-105 BCE

Answer 20

Numidia was a long-time ally of Rome; Jugurtha wanted absolute power, wanted to kill his cousin Adherbal; Jugurtha saw Rome as a “city for sale,” implying that Rome, a once honest & virtuous city, could be bought with bribes. This war is characterized by the amount of bribery that occurred, and it marked the beginning of the rivalry between Marius and Sulla — Marius became consul during the war, but before he could gain the glory of finishing the war himself, Sulla ambushed Jugurtha & got all the glory.

Question 21

Battle of the Colline Gate

Answer 21

Sulla’s Second March on Rome. Supporters of Marius’ son tried to attack Sulla to prevent him from taking Rome upon his return. Sulla won this battle against the Marians and thus took control of Rome once again.

Question 22

civitas libera

Answer 22

free city, no tax payments

Question 23

civitas foederata

Answer 23

allied city, sometimes pays taxes

Question 24

civitas stipendiaria

Answer 24

stipendiary city, most common, pays taxes

Question 25

publicani

Answer 25

private contractors; not organized by the state; they undertook contract work, collected taxes & built infrastructure; opportunity for corruption

Question 26

Quaestio de repetundis

Answer 26

extortion court; criminal court that heard cases of corruption or misconduct in office

Question 27

lex Plautia Papiria, 89 BCE

Answer 27

proposed by tribune of the plebs; law granted Roman citizenship to Italian communities that had previously rebelled against Rome during the war

Question 28

lex Pompeia, 89 BCE

Answer 28

grants Latin rights to cities in Cisalpine Gaul

Question 29

The Social War (91-87)

Answer 29

Drusus' efforts to reduce tensions only raised them. Italians, whose hopes of gaining Roman citizenship had been dashed once again, began organizing to claim by force citizenship status -- thus a confederation of member-states turned against their leader. "socius" = ally, so this is a war between Rome & its allies The goal was not really to overthrow Rome, as that was clearly unrealistic. Most rebels were just fighting to gain higher status within the alliance.

Question 30

Corfinium (or Italica)

Answer 30

The confederate capital of the Social War. Where the Italians congregated in preparation. They followed the Roman model with magistrates and 500 senators (all from member-states). Total number of men was around 100,000 -- all well acquainted with Roman methods of warfare. Insider knowledge. The Latin communities never joined, as their ally status was pretty high. Corfinium fell to the Romans in 89.

Question 31

Asculum

Answer 31

the rebels' last major stronghold during the Social War. It fell in 89 BCE along with Corfinium.

Question 32

Significance of the Social War

Answer 32

a turning point in Roman politics. Consequences stretched over next several decades. Italy's first, sudden exposure to the traumas of full-scale civil conflict. Changed the political, cultural, administrative complexion of Italy from the Padus River southwards. Communities abandoned their own ways of governance in order to become Roman municipia -- encouragement of urbanization. Members of all allied communities gained the right to vote & to run for office in Rome itself as they gained citizenship --> this rapid population expansion was one part of Rome's decline as the threat of a common enemy decreased & internal conflict took center stage Spurred the disappearance of regional languages such as Oscan, Umbrian, etc.

Question 33

Sulla's proscriptions

Answer 33

When Sulla returned to power after the Battle of the Colline Gate in 82, he instituted "proscriptions." Lists of people condemned to death without trial. Anyone could kill them and claim a reward. Unmitigated violence & terror. There were also rewards for informers. The sons & grandsons of a proscribed man were prohibited from seeking office.

Question 34

Delos

Answer 34

Athens asked Rome if they could take control of Delos after the Macedonian War. A financial hub with traders, bankers, etc. Full of Italians

Question 35

Why would someone want to be Roman?

Answer 35

- enrollment in the assemblies - for elites: opportunity to run for office - immunity from certain punishment - ability to appeal to the people if a magistrate doesn't treat you right (provocatio)

Question 36

latinfundium/latifundia

Answer 36

large Roman agricultural estates that had many slaves working on them

Question 37

Licinio-Sextian Laws, 367 BCE

Answer 37

addressed the economic plight of the plebeians and prevented the election of further patrician magistrates

Question 38

How/why did The First Triumvirate form?

Answer 38

Pompey, Crassus, Caesar Caesar was responsible for the creation of the FT; he needed political backing to win the consulship for 59, and he was on good terms w/ both Pompey & Crassus. Caesar's opponent was Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus, Cato's son-in-law. Caesar was aware of how both P & C were thwarted by Cato & the senate. He arranged a reconciliation between Pompey & Crassus, proposing that they work together to achieve their goals. The three men invited Cicero to join them, but he declined on matter of principle. He wanted men to work harmoniously & this partnership symbolized the opposite to him. Also known as "The Three Headed Monster." This partnership was not recognized by law but had a devastating impact.

Question 39

What did each man contribute to the First Triumvirate? What did they each have to gain? And what were the relationships among the men in the trio?

Answer 39

Individual contributions to alliance: Pompey - power/prestige/money; could call upon his veterans, clients, and colonists across the Roman world Crassus - wealth Caesar - brought Pompey & Crassus together; his consulship allowed both of them to increase personal gain To gain: Pompey - the most to gain immediately, in terms of power Crassus - unclear what he would really gain besides some more influence Caesar - most to gain long-term; the consulship, power & prestige Relationships: Pompey & Caesar - Pompey married Caesar's daughter (only legitimate child of his) Julia. When Julia later died, this bond was broken between them. Pompey & Crassus - Crassus jealous of Pompey; reconciled before forming Triumvirate; always tense between them -- Caesar was the mediator who could calm them down

Question 40

Second Triumvirate

Answer 40

Octavian, Mark Antony, Lepidus Recognized in law (lex Titia), unlike the First Triumvirate.

Question 41

Cursus honorum

Answer 41

the sequential rank of Roman offices -- a man must rise through the ranks from lowest to highest

Question 42

Muli mariani

Answer 42

Marius' mules - Marius majorly reformed the Roman army during one of his 6 consulships. He required soldiers to carry their own gear, thus increasing their mobility and responsiveness