Roman History and Culture Flashcards
What was the typical city home of the average upper-class Roman family called?
Domus
The domus was characterized by its plain exterior and open-air courtyards.
What are the main features of wealthy Roman palaces on the eastern hills?
Extensive gardens
These palaces were often located on the Quirinal, Viminal, and Exquiline hills.
What were ordinary Romans’ living conditions in cities?
Simple apartments in insulae
Insulae often had three to five stories and covered an entire city block.
Define ‘vestibulum’ in the context of a Roman domus.
Entryway before the front door
Clients gathered in the vestibulum to meet their patron.
What is the purpose of the ‘atrium’ in a Roman domus?
Formal room for receiving guests and clients
The atrium often contained the lararium and was adorned with frescoes.
What is a ‘cubiculum’?
Small bedrooms or sitting rooms
Typically furnished with a bed and a wooden chest.
What does the term ‘triclinium’ refer to?
Dining room with a three-sided cushioned bench
The refined way to dine was in a reclining position.
Fill in the blank: The __________ was a shallow pool in the atrium, used for collecting rainwater and decoration.
Impluvium
It was located directly beneath the opening in the roof.
What is the ‘tablinum’ used for?
Office for family records and treasure chests
It provided a view from the atrium to the peristylium.
True or False: The ‘fauces’ is a corridor leading from the janua to the atrium.
True
The fauces serves as a transition space in the domus.
What is a ‘peristylium’?
Colonnaded interior garden
It often contained frescoes, statuary, and fountains.
What are ‘tabernae’?
Shops operated by the patron or rented out
These shops opened only onto the street.
Define ‘exedra’ in the context of a Roman domus.
Room with seats for formal entertainments
The exedra may have been decorated with frescoes and mosaic floors.
What was commonly used to create mosaic floors in Roman homes?
Small bits of colored glass (tesserae)
These mosaics often depicted scenes from mythology or nature.
What is the ‘culina’?
Kitchen
It was an essential part of the Roman domus.
What does the ‘impluvium’ collect rainwater for?
Both for collecting rainwater and decoration
It served both practical and aesthetic purposes.
Fill in the blank: The __________ was the formal room where guests were received and clients assembled.
Atrium
It played a central role in the social functions of the domus.
What was a central feature of Roman social life?
The Roman bathhouse
What were the large public baths in Roman cities called?
Thermae
How were the largest baths in Rome characterized?
Enormous, covering several city blocks, luxuriously decorated with murals and costly marbles
What supplied water for the Roman bathhouses?
Aqueducts
How often did citizens attend the baths?
Daily
Who maintained the bathhouses and attended the guests?
Slaves
What was the custom regarding bathing for men and women during the empire?
Women bathed in the morning and men in the afternoon
What was the apodyterium?
Dressing room
What was the purpose of the strigilis?
To scrape off oil from the body after cleaning
What are the three main rooms and pools in the Roman bathhouse?
- Tepidarium (warm room)
- Caldarium (hot bath)
- Frigidarium (cold room and pool)
What is a laconicum?
A steam room, like a modern sauna
What is the hypocaustum?
A raised floor that circulated heat from a furnace
What were the smaller baths in cities and towns called?
Balneae
What did wealthy citizens often have built into their houses?
Private balneae
What was the first meal of the day in ancient Rome called?
Jentaculum
What meal followed the jentaculum in late morning?
Prandium
What was the main meal of the day in ancient Rome?
Cena
What is a vesperna?
Possibly a late dinner
What is the Circus Maximus?
A great racetrack originally built by Lucius Tarquinius Priscus
It was rebuilt many times and had seating for over 250,000.
How many chariots could race at the Circus Maximus?
Twelve chariots
The track was wide enough to accommodate this number.
What is the center median of the Circus Maximus called?
Spina
What are the turning posts at each end of the spina called?
Metae
What were the starting gates at the Circus Maximus known as?
Carcares
What is a chariot driver called?
Auriga
What significant structure was found in the Forum?
Curia
This was a meeting house for the Senate.
What purpose did the basilicae in the Forum serve?
Law courts and public meeting places
What was the Cloaca Maxima?
A huge sewer system in Rome
Originally built to drain marshy areas and later adapted for sewage.
Who built the original sewer system, the Cloaca Maxima?
Tarquinius Priscus
What are tabernae in the context of ancient Rome?
Shops and fast-food stalls
The origin of our word tavern.
What was the Campus Martius used for?
Military drilling and training
It was also where the army assembled before a war.
What is the Colosseum known for?
Gladiatorial games
What type of building is the Pantheon?
A domed temple to all the gods
What happened to the Colosseum over time?
It was damaged by earthquakes and used as a source of building material
Which of the two famous buildings, the Colosseum or the Pantheon, is virtually intact?
The Pantheon
What were the primary purposes of the Roman highways?
Military traffic, administrative, and commercial use
The highways facilitated movement across the empire for various functions.
What is the most famous Roman road known as?
Via Appia (Appian Way)
It is referred to as the Regina Viarum (Queen of Roads).
Which city did the Via Appia connect to Rome?
Brundisium
Brundisium was a significant port city.
Name one principal city of Campania that the Via Appia ran through.
Capua
Capua was an important city during ancient Roman times.
What is notable about the current state of the Via Appia?
Parts of the Via Appia still exist today
This highlights the durability of Roman engineering.
What city did the Via Flaminia connect to Rome?
Ariminium (Rimini)
Ariminium was an important northern city.
What city did the Via Aurelia connect to Rome?
Pisa
Pisa was a significant city in the region.
What was the main street of ancient Rome called?
Via Sacra
The Via Sacra ran from the Capitol through the Forum to the Colosseum.
Fill in the blank: The Via Sacra ran from the ______ to the Colosseum.
Capitol
The Capitol was one of the most important buildings in ancient Rome.
