rome study guide Flashcards
legion
large military units in rome
punic wars
the three wars between rome and carthage
dictator
a leader who has absolute power to make laws + command army, the republic can appoint one in times of crisis
mercenaries
foreign soldiers who fought for money
diaspora
a period of jewish exile and the fall of jerusalem
patricians
wealthy landowners who had most of the power
plebeians
common, farmers, artisans, and merchants
tribunes
protected the rights of the plebeians from unfair acts of patricians, representatives are elected by an assembly formed by the plebeians
consuls
executive: one-year terms, chief executives of the government, commander in chief of army, pass laws, can veto each other
senate
legislative: representative body for patricians, 300 members, made up of patricians, chosen to serve for life, advise consuls, controls foreign and financial policies
tribal assembly
legislative: citizens grouped according to where they live, members for life, elect (10) tribunes, representative body for plebeians
centuriate assembly
legislative: members for life, make laws, select consuls
first triumvirate
caesar, crassus, pompey
second triumvirate
augustus, antony, lepidus
founding of rome
by a legendary king, romulus
what was a key characteristic of the early roman republic?
the citizens had the power
what was the social class in rome?
born into the social class, men were the leaders of the family, women were citizens, but they could not vote, they were the same social class as their father or husband
who was hannibal?
a military strategist who wanted to destroy rome, helped and led carthage in the second punic war
what happened in the first punic war?
rome had a strong army, carthage had a strong navy, fought over sicily and sardinia, the war was out at sea, rome gained islands and their treasury
what happened in the second punic war?
hannibal’s led the carthage army on a long trek across the alps to rome. during the trek, he lost more than half his men and elephants, scipio’s counter-attack at the battle of zama
what happened in the third punic war?
rome destroyed carthage
why were the twelve tables significant?
they were roman laws written on bronze tablets that were displayed publicly, it prevented patrician officials from interpreting the laws in favor of themselves
what was rome’s geography like?
fertile soil, forest, peninsula, hills, alps, had access to the mediterranean, and could move by land and sea.
who influenced rome?
etruscans, greeks, latins
how did the etruscans influence the development of rome?
influenced rome’s alphabet and architecture (the arch)