Key Terms for Midterm I Flashcards
Aventine
One of the hills of Rome, would be come synonymous with the Plebs.
Palatine
The hill upon which Rome was founded
Pomerium
The symbolic trench around a Roman city that delineates “inside” and “outside”. The first was legendarily plowed by Romulus.
Livy
One of the latin historians
Po Valley
The valley to the south east of the Alps
Appenines
The mountain range that extends down the spine of Italy.
Eutria
The region of North Western Italy inhabited by the Etruscans.
Rex/Reges
King/kings
Gens
The free-born descendants of a common ancestor in the male line.
30 curia
Division of the people people into political units. Three tribes, 10 curia for each tribe.
comitia curiae
The earliest form of Roman assembly.
Imperium
The supreme power, involving command in war and the interpretation and execution of law.
Tarquin the Elder
Fifth king of Rome. Etruscan.
Servius Tillus
Sixth king of Rome. Instituted the census, new tribal system, built Rome’s first wall. Started the timocratic system of government.
Tarquin the Younger
Assassinated Servius and was the last king of Rome. Raped Lucretia, who killed herself. Roman people revolted saying that virtue and kingship could not coexist.
Hoplite
6th century infantryman. Equipped with spear, shield and small sword. Made up the phalanx.
Census
Instituted by Servius Tillus, it counted Roman citizens based upon wealth (the ability to arm themselves).
Comitia Centuria
Timocratic assembly of five graded property classes that voted on war, laws, the death penalty and elect senior magistrates.
Consuls
Two chief annual civil and military magistrates.
Dictator
A military leader elected by the senate in a time of crisis who had absolute imperium (usually a consul).
Latin League
Informal alliance between cities surrounding Rome.
Sabines, Aeqi, Volscians
Nearest hill tribes
Patrician
Aristocracy
Plebeians
Land owning Roman citizens not in the aristocracy.
Facses
The symbol of consicular power: a bundle of sticks with an ax protruding from the center.
Struggle of the Orders
Patricians vs the Plebs. Some plebs had enough wealth to supply hoplites, but could not gain the prestige of patrician because they weren’t in the right family. Plebs had no protection from the arbitrary power of consuls.
Tribunes
Instituted in 494 as the first victory of the Struggle of the Orders. These two men protected plebs from the consuls and could veto the consuls.
Decemviri
451(?) ten men appointed by senate to codify the law
Twelve Tables
Resulting written laws of the decemviri.
Military Tribune with Consicular Power
440’s senate stopped electing consuls in favor of these guys. Theoretically a pleb could hold this office.
Lician Rogens
Canceled much Roman debt, limits private ownership of the ager publicus, revived office if consul and opened it to the plebs (467)
Hill Tribes
From the Apennines. They were the first exterior military enemies of Rome. Rome allied with the Latin League. (5th century)
Veii
Closest Etruscan city. Rome invaded the city and failed until Furuios Camillus was elected dictator.
Furius Camillus
Dictator of the seige of Veii
Celts/Gauls
8th century inhabitants of the Po Valley who subsisted from. Mixed agriculture and herding. When they fell on hard times they’d raid the Latins and Etruscans.
Insubres
The first Tribe of Gauls to inhabit the Po Valley.
Senons
390 came from north and attacked Rome. They sacked the city and only left after being paid a ransom. This event terrified the Romans, becoming a major point in their history and in reaction they built a wall.
Preators
Elected magistrate
Ager Publicus
Public property won in war time. Came to be privately owned, a tension during the Struggle of the Orders.
civitas sine suffergio
A grade of Roman city-state in which a city was considered a part of Rome, but without the right to vote. They got Roman protection and laws.
Latin allies
Latin cities that rebelled against Rome in 390, causing Camillus to return from exile to be dictator.
Samnites
Tribe from Southern Apennines often at odds with Rome.
P. Decimus Mus
341 defeats Latin allies and procures peace.
Roman Confederation
The cities under Roman protection in a system of graded citizenship. Consisted of Rome, Campiania and Samnites.
Commercium
Citizens of Roman cities could make lawful deals with Romans.
Conumbium
Right to intermarriage between Romans and newly acquired cities.
socii latin nominis
A grade of citizenship in which the local government was retained and the inhabitants were considered aliens in Roman law. They had to follow Roman foreign policy and could only make contracts with Rome.
Second Samnite Wars
326-2: Rome attempted to conquer the hills, but their battle strategy didn’t work since the Samnites had no towns to protect. The Samnites defeated the Romans and negotiated a peace treaty.
Third Samnite War
316-04: Etruscans and other Southern Italians join Rome in defeating the Samnites.
Fourth Samnite War
299-90: Precipitated by Gauls entering the Po Valley. Samnites alley with new Gauls and defeat Romans in Umbria. In 295 P. Decimus sacrifices himself at Sentium. 290 Rome became allies with Samnites.
Gelius Egnatius
299 Samnite leader who allied with the Gauls.
Sentinium
295 climatic battle of the Fourth Samnite War in which P. Decimus Mus charged into battle and died.
Tartentum
Greek city-state in the arch of Italy. Taken by Pyrrhus of Epirus in 280, which lead to the Pyrrhiric War.
Thurii
Greek city-state in Southern Italy that request Rome’s protection against Pyrrhus in 282.
Heraclea
280 Romans faced Pyrrhus here. They were severely defeated and fled, causing the Samnites to break from the Confederation.
Demos
Greek popular assembly
Pyrrhus of Epirus
A first class general and ambitious king who desired to take the Greek city-states of southern Itally.
Asculum
279: Although he defeated the Romans, he could not win a decisive victory. At the bequest of the Macedonians he went to fight Carthage and tried again to take southern Italy, but again at great loss. Finally he gave up and went to Greece. Thus the Confederation was complete.
Lex Genucius
342: Law which outlawed iteration (the holding of the same office twice in ten years) and required that one consul be a pleb.
Ogulia
300: Opened priestly college to plebs
Lex Hortens
287: Plebeian laws became legally bindingw
Mamertines
265/4: Former mercenaries of Syracuse took over the city of Messana. When Syracuse began to put pressure on the city the Mamertines looked to ally with Rome. The popular decision to accept lead to empire building of Rome.
Hiero of Syracuse
264: Negotiated peace treaty with Rome when military force advanced into Syracuse territory when Rome first became involved in Sicily.
256
Romans took war to North Africa, but upon realizing Carthage was too large to defeat, took the battle to the surrounding areas defeating Carthage in Tunis and causes Carthaginian allies to defect. The next year Carthage raised a Geek phalanx and utterly defeated the Romans.
Agrigentium
262: First major victory of the First Punic War. The romans sacked the city.
Panormus
254: North Sicilian town that was the sight of a victorious Roman naval battle against Carthage.
Lillybeaum
250: Romans attack last major Carthaginian town and lost.
P. Claudius Pulchre
Commander of the 249 failed naval attack on Lillybeaum.
Hamilcar Barca (249)
Lead defense of Lillybeaum. In the long term lost the town because the Romans cut off port access.
C. Lutalius
249: Cut off harbor of Lillybeaum from the rest of Carthage. When Carthage left to take care of him they returned to find Romans in their port and lost the war.
Terms of the end of the First Punic War
Carthage had to give Rome 3,200 talents over ten years and Sicily.
Sardinian
Became Roman territory in the Mercenary War (241)
provincea
the area a magistrate governed
Lex Genucius
342: One consul had to be a pleb, outlawed iteration, spread the offices among the aristocracy, lead to armature consuls and charismatic individuals could not achieve the same level of success.
Questor
Finance Officer, 4
aedile
Public officer- over saw temples, trade, markets, weights, public games, public grain supply, public buildings and law. Four yearly, two had to be plebs.
Tribune
Ten annually. Plebeian leaders or military leaders.
Preator
At least one year,ply, the number grew as the empire grew. Presided over law courts.
Censor
Two men every five years who took the census.
Sardina
238-231: cause of the Second Punic War. Sardinia didn’t want Rome and allowed Carthage back.
Ligura
238-29: Romans fought mercenaries in this south Italian region.
Hamilcar Barca (238)
Leader of the faction of Carthaginians who wanted to reestablish their empire. He conquered the the southeast Iberia, founding gold and silver mines (238-29).
Hasdrubal
229-21: Son-in-law of Hamilcar who took over leadership of Iberia after his death
Ebro Treaty
229: Between the city of Messalia and Cathage, mediated with help of Rome.
C. Flaminus
Built colony in Gaul and makes war in 226.
Telamon
225: Romans defeat Gauls and by 222 take Cisalpine Gaul
Hannible
221: Son of Hamilcar who took command of Iberia once Hasdrubal died.
Saguntum
219: Hannibal attacked the city and Rome interfered, causing the Second Punic War.
P. Cornelius Scioio
218: General of the Second Punic War
Tribea
218: Carthaginian victory in Cisalpine Gaul. He then continues into Italy, defeating the army of C. Flaminus
Fabius Maximus
215: Dictator, nick named cuncator (the Delayer) for his tactic of avoiding direct conflict with Hannibal and instead making small raids on the edges.
Canna
216: New consuls Paulus and Varro engage Hannibal in battle and are utterly defeated, causing allies to start breaking off (Samnites, Capua, Syracuse, Terento).
Publius Scipio
209: Takes over campaign of Iberia despite youth after his father and uncle are killed there. He was able to take New Carthage (206) and in 205 elected consul. He raised an army and invaded North Africa in 204 and after much fighting a treaty was signed, only to be ignored with the return of Hannibal.
Claduis Nero
Commander from south Italy who marched his army to the north in seven days to meet Hasdrubal.
Zama
202: Scipio and Hannibal battle here and Rome wins.
Terms of the end of Second Punic War
Carthage gave up Iberia, war elephants and fleet. Pay 10,000 talons over 50 years. Carthage became a dependent alley of Rome.
Macedonia
One of the Greek territories ruled by the Antigonid
Egypt
One of the Greek territories ruled by the Ptolemies.
Selusid Empire
One of the Greek territories. Included Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia and Asia Minor
Aetolian League
The League of Italian Greek cities.
Acheon League
The league of Greek cities in Greece proper.
Hellenistic World
Propagated by Greek elite in the Near East.
Philip of Macadonia
Philip supported Carthage in the Punic War, so when Rhodes asked for help against him, Rome happily obliged.
P. Sulpicus Galhe
Wanted war with Philip, but was initially voted down.
Fetters of Greece
Three strategic cities that Philip controlled. Chalcis, Corinth and Demetrius.
Second Macedonian War
199-97
I. Quintus Flaminius
198: sent to Greece to fight Philip
Battle of Cynoscephalas
198: Romans and Aetolian League won. Philip had to give up his feet and pay an indemnity.
Second Macedonian War
200-197
Syrian War
192-87
Third Macedonian War
171-68
Antiochus the Third
Emperor of Selucid territory
Battle of Thermopylae
191 Roman victory
Lucius Scipio
Continued war in Asia Minor (190)
Magnesia
190: Final battle of the First Macedonian War between Lucius and Antiochus.
Treaty if Apromae
187: Antiochus had to give up fleet, elephants, Hannibal and 15,000 talents. Rome gave Antiochis’s land to Pergamum and Rhodes.
Persius
172: Successor of Philip of Macedonia
Eumenes of Pergamum
Came to Rome to inform the senate that Persius intended to oust Rome from Greece.
L. Aemilius
168: defeated Persius at Pydra
Results of the Third Macedonian War
Macedonia divided into four regions
Rome took Rhode’s territory in Asia Minor
Rome tried and executed anti-Roman politicians in the Aetolian League.
Epirus
168: Paullus captured 150 000 slaves here on his march back from the Third Macedonian War.
Popillus
Drew a circle around Antiochus the Fourth and demanded that he choose whether or not to continue expansion before leaving the circle. Antiochus relented.
Masinissa
King of Numidia who attempted to unite tribes and instigated the Third Punic War by encroaching upon Carthaginian territory.
Third Punic War
149-46: Initially fought over land disputes, but ended in the complete destruction of Cathage.
Cato the Elder
Leader the anti-Carthage faction in Rome.
Andriseus
149: Claimed to be the heir of Persius and started the Macedonian Revolt
Critolaus
Leader of Corinth under the 148 revolt
Scipio Aemilianis
148: elected Tribune of Carthage and lead successful siege of the city.
Africa
The name of the province formerly Carthage
Mummius
146: Roman general who laid waste to Corinth and annexed Greece
Equstrians
Money class that rose in the 140’s. They acquired great wealth through government contracts but lacked political power.
Latifundia
Great land estates
Delos
Center of the slave market
Secret ballot
139
Lex Calpurmade Repetundis
149 law that created courts for the trial of praetors for extortion after their term.
Third Celtiberian War/Numantine War
143: embarrassing war for Romans
Hostilius Mancinus
137: General who was captured by the celts and was a huge embarsement.
Tiberius Gracchus
Reformer who attempted to pass land bills and demonstrated how popular support could be used to advance in politics. Killed in Senate mob
Lex agraria
133: Enforce Lucian Rogations law on agur publicus. Tried to give land to the peasants, thereby increasing infantry and alleviating Rome’s slums.
M. Octavius
Opposed T. Gracchus’s land reform
Land Commision
Instituted in 133 to over see the execution of the Lex Agraria
Scipio Nascia
Lead senate mob to kill T. Gracchus in 132
