Rise Of Rome Flashcards
By approximately what date had Rome conquered all of Italy
270BC
Why was Carthage an obstacle to early Rome expansion
They were wealthy
Had powerful navy that controlled trade
Why were the Romans able to overcome Macedonia and the Greek city states?
Philip of Macedonio did not have a navy.
Philip also retreated because roman army was very powerful + had very efficient tactics
When did the Punic Wars take place, and what was the overall result?
264-146.
By the end romans had control over the Mediterranean and more, Carthage was also thoroughly destroyed
How did the organisation of the Roman Army make it a more effective fighting force?
It was very strict Romans had rules they wouldn’t dare to disobey
Brutal, intimidated opponents
Subdivided, very well organised
Roman soldiers were full time soldiers, only job they had all year round
What was the ‘gladius’?
=sword primary weapon
Iron or bronze made for stabbing
Short blade
45cm
What was the ‘pilum’
=javelin secondary weapon
Made out of two parts so that when it was used the enemy couldn’t use it
Bends + breaks on impact
Thrown at a distance of 100ft
What siege weapons/artillery did the Romans use?
Ballista, siege tower, battering ram, catapult, scorpion
Ballista
Bigger scorpion
Scorpion
Threw iron bolts to destroy enemy formation
Battering ram
Braking down enemy walls
Catapult
Brake down enemy structures
Describe a Roman legionary compared to a Greek hoplite
RL= modern,effective weapons+armour
VARIED tactics involving infantry, auxiliary, cavalry
Raman is a professional soldier
GH= phalanx= slow moving, tight formation, weak against cavalry, easily outflanked
Normal citizen
Lorica segmentata
Curved plates of iron or steel to protect chest and soldiers
Allowed more mobility while still preventing the chest+soldiers very well
Lighter than chain
Strong + high protection
Manuverable
Galea
Helmet hammered from sheet bronze or iron to protect he’d and face.
High visibility
Scutum
Rectangular, curved shield made of 3-4 thin layers of wood glued at straight angles to each other.
Light, large, very protective
Cingulum
Protects groin area
Chain mail
Used in earlier and very late Roman armies
Heavy
Weaker than plate armour
Roman military camps
Outer defence was like a wall
Built near rivers
They had hospitals, shops, Roman baths so they were kept clean and HEALTHY
Well organised into blocks
Formations/tactics
Testudo
Wedge
Triple line
Testudo
Used to approach fortifications
Really slow
Shield wall
Triple line
Bigger gaps, have more space to move around
Faster because it is less rigid
The wedge
Triangle formation
Crack open enemy lines
Slow
More effective to attack
When did Rome conquer Spain?
19BC
When did Rome conquer France?
58BC
When did Rome conquer Britain?
43AD
What engineering projects greatly helped the effectiveness of the Roman Army?
Roads + aqueducts
Roman roads
Followed a strait trail.
Durable and flat.
They dug ditches on both side to allow drainage.