Roman Empire #1 Flashcards
Who founded Rome? What is the story behind the founding of Rome?
Twin brother, Remus and Romulus. About 800 BC they moved to Rome. Twin were the sons of a Latin women and Mars so Rome is believed to be in a divine city because of its origin.
Describe the geography of the early Roman Empire? How did it differ from that of Greece?
Fertile Plains, lower mountain ranges, easier to communicated and travel within the region. Greece is made up of mountainous, rugged terrain, Italy’s geography was far less Strenuous.
Once the Etruscan are driven out of power, the Roman Republic is set up. Please describe the idea behind a republic.
A republic is when the people were able to choose some of the officials. Romans felt that this would prevent any one individual from gaining too much power.
What were the two groups that made up the Roman Senate? Describe each one.
- Patricians - powerful landowner class. The patricians elected 2 consuls who supervised the business of government and commanded the armies could only serve 1 term, have to approve each other’s decisions
-Plebeians - farmers, merchants, artisans and traders who made up the rest of population that had little power
What was the significance of the Twelve Tables?
The 12 tables made it possible for plebeians to appeal a judgement by a patrician judge.
Describe the First Punic War in detail.
Rome defeats Carthage and wins island of Sicily, Corsica and Sardengea.
Describe the 2nd Punic War in detail
Under the commander Hannibal and a fleet of war elephants, they surprise Romans from the north. The war lasts 15 years with many battle won by Hannibal. Romans send an army to Carthage which forces Hannibal to return home to defend his city-state and ends up losing
Describe the 3rd Punic War
Rome completely destroys Carthage and literally pours salt over the land - “Masters of the Mediterranean”
Describe how Julius Caesar rose to power, What was he like as an emperor
Was famous general, and forces the Senate to make him a dictator. Julius Caesar provided citizenship to more people. Many feared that Caesar wanted to be the king of Rome, so he was stabbed to death
How does Rome go from a republic to an empire
After the Punic Wars since Rome owns all land touching the Mediterranean Seam and then/now it’s an empire
After the assassinated of Julius Caesar, Octavian comes to power and is given the title Augustus. Describe in detail his impact on the Roman Empire.
Augustus exercised absolute power but was careful not to call himself king. He laid the foundation for a stable government, initiated the civil service exam for talented men regardless of class
After the death of Augustus, what is the concern in the Roman Empire?
People worried though who would take over after his death and if the empire would begin to crumble
Describe the Bad Emperors and Good Emperors
Bad - Caligula - considered insane, appointed his favorite horse as consul
Nero- viciously persecuted the Christians and blamed for a fire that destroyed much of Rome
Good - Hadrian- codified Roman law for all of provinces
Marcus Aurelius - devoted student of philosophy who believed in ruling an empire with dignity and respect
Describe the significance the term of Pax Romana
Pax means peace, perfect, built roads, better - Pax Romana being with Augustus and ends with the region of Aurelius
Describe the term “Bread and Circuses”
Entertainment paid by taxes
