short questions on Roman Empire Flashcards
how did the city of Rome develop
from a collection of villages built on hills near the river Tiber
in what country is Rome
Italy
how much did the Romans conquer
Italy, most of Europe, parts of Middle East and North Africa
How long did the Roman Empire last
over 1000 years
when did the Roman Empire collapse
476AD
how do we know about the Romans
Archeaologists have discovered remains of many Roman towns, e.g. Pompeii and Herculaneum in Southern Italy
what volcano erupted to destroy Pompeii and Herculuneum
Mt. Vesuvius
when did Mt Vesuvius eurpt
79AD
Herculuneum was closer to the volcano… what did it get coveredin
lava and mud
what did Pompeii get covered in
a layer of ash and pumice
what was the result of these towns being destroyed by Mt Vesuvius
due to the preservation by the mud and ash objects in both towns are in good condition even today
Ancient Rome was a huge city…. how many people lived ther
over a million
who lived in ancient Rome
both rich and poor and different classes of people
who were the different classes of people
FREEBORN men and women were CITIZENS
CITIZENS WERE MADE UP OF TWO GROUPS…
PATRICIANS=RICH and PLEBIANS=POOR and at the bottom were the SLAVES
were CITIZENS equal
NO.. some were rich and some were poor
PATRICIANS AND PLEBIANS
did CITIZENS have rights
YES.. they had the right to VOTE
the right to FIND WORK
the right to TRAVEL FROM PLACE TO PLACE
How did PATRICIANS measure their wealth
by the amount of SLAVES they owned
were SLAVES free
NO.. they were not free and head to wear a tag with their masters name on it in case they tried to escape
Did PATRICIANS work
some served as ARMY GENERALS or POLITICIANS but MOST DID NOT WORK
How did wealthy romans spend their time
at the baths or going to games
What did the less well off educated people do
worked as doctors, architects and teachers
What work did Plebeians do
worked in shops or as tradesmen like carpenters, jewellers or bakers
who did the worst jobs
the slaves… there were millions of slaves working for the rich
did Slaves have rights
NO.. they were at the mercy of their masters
How did someone become a slave
Captured in battle
some were bought and sold by readers that captured them from far away lands
some were criminals sentenced to a life of slavery as punishment and others became slaves because they were born to slave parents
what work did slaves do
all types of work. Some were bought by kind owners and if they were skilled they were trusted as child carers, teachers, cooks or doctors. Some were tutors for educating rich children. However for most slaves life was misery. They had to carry out tough manual labour instead mines and quarries and they usually died young
How were slaves with skills treated by masters
usually with respect and sometimes could earn their freedom over time. Sometimes when a master died he stated in his will to set his slaves free
what is the name of the ceremony to set a slave free
Manumission
what happened during the ceremony of Manumission
The salve was touched with a special stick called a VINDICATE and wore a straw cap called THE CAP OF LIBERTY
WHERE DID MOST SLAVES WORK
salt mines and quarries. Some were chosen to become gladiators and this offered better conditions during training and for some the path to freedom is they won certain amount of contests.. but most died.
where were these slaves bought
at slave markets .. the younger and stronger were always the most expensive
REVISION QUESTIONS
PAGE 50
what was the difference between a Patrician and a Plebeian
a Patrician was rich and a Plebeian was poor
Explain how certain people ended up becoming slaves
Captured in battle
Bought and sold by traders that captured them in other lands
Criminals sentenced to slavery as punishment for serious offence
Born to slave parents
Describe the different types of work carried out by slaves in Ancient Rome
If a slave was skilled he could be a child carer, teacher, cook or doctor.
If not they were forced to work in salt mines and quarries and some became Gladiators
Mention 2 ways a slave could earn freedom
If his master died and set him free in his will
Slaves with skills were sometimes able to earn their freedom after a period of time
explain Manumissin
a ceremony performed to set a slave free
explain Vindicta
Vindicat is the name of a stick used to touch the slave during Manumission… the ceremony to set a slave free
explain the cap of liberty
a straw cap or by a slave during the manumission… the ceremony performed to set a slave free
what is the house of a Roman called
a DOMUS
what is the room beyond the hall door
an entrance hall called the ATRIUM
what is the walled garden at the rear of the Domus called
a PERISTYLE
describe a DOMUS
one story high, the atrium had a pond and an open skylight that allowed light and a breeze in. The bedrooms and kitchen led off the atrium. There was a walled garden called a peristyle at the rear of the house. Very little furniture. Decorated inside with murals and mosaics. Outside walls were covered in graffiti and windows were small. Many had their own water supply by having a pipe connected to the aqueduct system
what is a mural
a wall painting
what is a mosaic
pattern or pictures made from small pieces of tiles set into the floor
most Romans did not live in houses… where did they live?
small apartments could be five or six stories tall. The higher up the cheaper the rent. Food, drink and anything needed had to be carried up on ladders. Rubbish and sewage had to be carried down or thrown out the window into the streets below. There was no running water or toilets
explain stepping stones
stones were placed along the streets at regular intervals so that people could cross the road without standing in rubbish and dirt.
Ancient Rome had skilled crafts men…
what were they
Mosaic making was a skill. There were potters (made red clay pots) and glass blowing was discovered by the romans (drinking glasses and bottles)
what is the FORUM
a market place in the centre of Rome. People bought wine, bread, met, fruit and vegetables. The market was held on the eight day
other that the markets what else happened at the FORUM
People met friends, businessmen made deals and citizens discussed politics
what is the straight road through the middle of the FORUM called
The Via Sacra (sacred way). It was traditional for the Roman army to march along the Via Sacra following a victory in battle
what did Romans eat
breakfast was bread with fruit
lunch was cheese
dinner was the main meal and served after 5pm, it was 3 courses and lasted several hours
what did Romans eat for dinner
starters - oysters, stuffed olives and dormice
Main course- meat dished e.g. pig, boars head, ostrich and lobster
Desert - honey cakes, dates, grapes, fruit and nuts
who ate like this
only rich romans
did they use knives and forks
no.. they ate with their hands usually lying on couches around a single table
what did poor people eat
lentil or barley soup. cheap cuts of meat stewed in vinegar
the government gave free grain to the poor .. what was this called
free grain was called DOLE, it was used to make bread and porrige
explain the term tunic
a type of dress made from wool. men wore loose short tunics and women wore long tunics
explain the term toga
a large piece of cloth wrapped around the shoulders worn over a tunic, it was worn by men when they went outside
explain the term palla
a large cloak worn by women over their tunic when they went out
what did most romans wear
Men… a short tunic, to the knee with a toga over it and sandals
women..a long tunic covered by a palla and sandals
where were chariot races held in Rome
Circus Maximus
how many teams were in Rome
4
what did the race consist of
7 laps around an oval track
were there rules at Circus Maximus
No, crashes were common. Charioteers had to be strapped in and each had a knife to cut themselves out after a crash
why was Chariot Racing so popular
because it was exciting, no rules and crashes were common and rival fans sometimes clashed.
