Roman Republic Test Flashcards
Romulus and Remus
- Roman origin myth
- Sons of a god-sent up river to be killed
- Saved by wolf, raised by a shepherd
- Romulus killed Remus in a power struggle
- Romulus later became a god
Latins, Greeks, Etruscans
Greeks: They learned trade throughout the Mediterranean and they influenced trade, were commercially active in the area. Culture-> religion, the gods
Latins: Chose location-> defensive location. Good for trade. Hilly-> main hills-> palatine hill, language
Etruscans: Skills, alphabet, architecture (specifically, the arch)
Cincinnatus
- Good example of what the Romans wanted of dictator
- He abandoned his farm to become dictator, defeated the enemies, and returned home and stepped down from dictator within 15 days. Did what he needed to do to save Rome and willingly handed power back and walked away
Gauls
- They were the people from the PO River Valley and they got over Rome’s walls and racked Rome and left it in ruins
- Romans had to pay a humiliating bribe to get them to leave
- Romans recovered, rebuilt stronger wall and made Rome the largest city in Italy. They built strong walls, redoubled military efforts so all males that owned land had to serve and they began to conquer neighboring areas
- Very embarrassing, humiliating bc they pride themselves on war and lost to the gauls
Hannibal
- Vowed to destory Rome
- Had a lot of troops but many died from travel from spain across France and into the Alps
- Carthaginian military genius that started the 2nd punic war
Scipio
General that won Rome the 2nd Punic war. Attacked Carthage so Hannibal had to rush home at the battle of Zana. Carthage now only has africa territory.
-Scorpio was deemed Africanus (conquerer of Africa)
Spartacus
-Gladiator slave that rose a slave army and with their army won against the Roman army 9 times until the lost and Rome crucified him and his followers to send a message that this is what happens to slaves that fight
Gracchi Brothers
- Both were tribunes (officilas who spoke on behalf of the plebians)
- Both fought for the proletariats and tried to make programs to deal with unemployment and made laws designed to weaken the state
- Horrible deaths
Marius
-Gained power from victoreis against German tribes that made him popular with the people
-General opened the door for dictatorship
Changes made- allowed the cities poor to enlist in the army
-New recruits got weapons and armor from the state
-Got rid of have to have land to join army law
-Paid them to enlist using money from the lands he conquered
-They now fight for an individual
-Was elected as consul 5 times in a row, 5 years in a row bc the wealthy can’t stop him
-Continually fought with Sulla
-DIed peacefully
Sulla
- Champion of the Senate
- Drives Marius out with his army
- becomes a dictator and can’t be stopped bc of army
- Marius and Sulla keep driving each other out and taking over and killing each other’s followers
- Abolished 6-month limit to dictators terma nd named himself dictator until he stepped down
- Civil war happened
- Was named dictator indefinitely
- Died peacefully
Julius Caesar
-Bribed Sulla’s soldiers to spare his life which tells us he is controlled and composed, he knows the use of money and is good at persuading people and they could have killed him and took his money but he was a good charmer
Was a good politician
-gave speeches and threw parties to gain popularity
-Knew he could become rich by becoming the governor of a province so he worked hard in Roman politics
-Borrowed money from Crassus the rich to throw parties and become popular and he invites patricians and senators to them and he charms them and they give him the position of governor of spain so he became rich
-Formed the first Triumvirate and they then had caesar rule as consul that he stepped down from in a year and said that he was “upholding the old ways of Rome” that made ppl like him
-He Marched his troops over to Germany, France, and England and took over . He was a soldier and a general too
-The senate orders Ceasar to return to rome without his troops, but he returns with his troops and Crossed the Rubicon
-He then conquers Rome and Pompey runs and gets killed at Egypt
-He was killed by Senators including his friends Brutus and Cassius bc they thought he wanted to be king
-Established Julian Calandar
Political things Caesar did as Dictator for 10 years
-Grants Roman citizenship to people in Roman provinces and so he expands senate to 900 ppl and it becomes v representative and ppl like him bc they can vote
Helped lower class
-Ordered slave orders to subsititute free men for at least 1/3 of their work force
-Set up public programs to create more jobs
_Founded other colonies to provide land for Rome’s landless poor
-This gave him more political support
Crassus
- Part of the first Triumvirate
- Crassus the rich (the money)
- Invested in caesar
- gave caesar the money to throw the parties for the Senators and become popular
- Ruled Rome with Pompey and Caesar
- Eventually died
Pompey
- Part of the first Triumvirate
- Pompey the general who is very successful
- When Caesar conquers Northern Europe and sends back reports he gets Jealous
- Was the army that made the Triumvirate to bully Senate into doing what they want and getting Caesar into Consul place
- When Caesar conquered Rome, he ran to Egypt and then was killed there by the Paraoh and his head was presented to Caesar onto a plate
Octavian (Augustus)
- Part of the Second Triumvirate
- Was the grand nephew and adoptive son of Caesar
- Mark Anthony’s rival
- Avenged Caesar
- Made sure that he didn’t make the same mistakes as Caesar did
- Gave himself title of First CItizen that made sure ppl knew he didn’t want to become king although he was the ruler of Rome
- A few years later Senate offered him the title of Agustus “exalted one” a name normally reserved for gods. He first refused and then accepted
- Ruled Rome as a one man Empire
- Senate and Assembly still met and they pretended like they Could dethrone Augustus at any time. Senate knew they couldn’t, but still played along in order to gain favor of Augustus
- RUled for 41 years and it was the longest period of peace and prosperity that Rome ever knew
Mark Antony
- Part of the second Triumvirate
- Was Caesar’s trusted comrad
- Wanted revenge for Caesar’s death
Lepidus
-Part of the second triumvirate
Gravitas
-Gravity, seriousness, heaviness, very strong and serious
Rome valued Gravitas
Pater Familias (patriarchal)
Romans valued the way of the fathers
-Role of the eldest male: made any and all decisions for the family
Extremes: could killed all his family. The law of the household. Could sell his kids etc
-Role of women: citizens without vote, ran household, could own property
Republic
- Rome was a republic
- Government where the people rule through elected representatives
- New idea, gave ppl a voice in decisions
- Based off of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy
Patrician
Ancestors were the “Founders” of Rome, upper class
- Had power to make laws
- Had power to interpret the laws
Plebeian
Farmers laborers, artisans, the common people
- Did not have many rights
- Had to fight to get the right to get higher up positions in political offices and to make reforms to make laws better for them by moving out of Rome and bc they made up most of the military, they needed them back so they made the reforms for them
Legion
Part of Rome’s army
40-60 thousand foot soldiers
-Broken down into centuries that wer e60 soldiers
-Supported by a cavalry-soldiers on horseback
-V. well organized army
Consul
Powers
Influenced by monarch although romans rlly hated monoarchy
-Commanded the army, directed gov, power of life and deah of citizens in wartime
Members
-patricians and peblians (enventually), 2 consuls
limits
-1 year term, cant serve again for another 10 years
-Once consul can overrule or veto the others descisions
