Terms

Question 1

Etruscans

9 things

Answer 1

• small group of culturally related city states
• Located north of Rome
• mainly agriculturally based, but also extracted natural resources including lumber and minerals.
• known around 800bc. height at around 600s, decline late 400s.
• Etruscans never ruled under one state. Instead, was a patchwork of different leaders.
• Followed a religious book known as the Tages
• Used a language unrelated to Greek or Latin, but adopted parts of greek alphabet
• Etruscan women enjoyed more privilege in Etruscan society than in neighboring Greek societies
• although etruscans had some cultural differences from latins, they mark a development of a shared Italian culture influenced by the Greeks and Phoenicians.

Question 2

Gladiators

7 things

Answer 2

• gladiators were slaves and volunteers who were well-trained as athletes
• men seeking profit set up gladiator training schools and then contracted gladiators out to entertain.
• they rarely fought to the death unless hefty compensation was provided to their owners
• In addition, fighting was strictly regulated
• gladiators could develop devoted fan bases, who at times showered them with enough money that they could buy their independence.
• gladiator fights were common throughout much of roman history
• Spartacus was a trained gladiator

Question 3

Ager Publicus

7 things

Answer 3

• Ager Publicus was Rome’s public land.
• This land was usually gained through annexation of Rome’s enemies.
• Early on, the land was used to form Roman colonies.
• It was intended for land of the Ager Publicus to be distributed in small plots to plebeian farmers.
• Eventually, however, the wealthy began exploiting the ager publicus for their own gain. They formed huge estates with dozens of slaves and tenant farmers.
• Many tried to implement land reform on the Ager publicus. Most notably, the Gracchi brothers, but also the licinio-sextian laws of 367.
• In the late republic and empire, Roman generals began using Ager publicus as a benefit for veterans of their armies

Question 4

Polybius

7 things

Answer 4

• Greek historian from wealthy family
• Lived from 200 to 118 bc
• Was kidnapped by Romans and held as hostage, developed close connections with high roman officials
• Work known as The Histories documents the rise of the Roman Republic
• Worked with Scipeo, and may have served as his advisor at some point
• Has eyewitness account of the Sack of Carthage in 3rd punic war
• Was one of the most widely used sources by later Roman historians, and still by contemporary historians.

Question 5

Livy

7 things

Answer 5

• Roman historian from wealthy family in Patavium
• Lived from 64BC to 12AD
• Experienced the Social War
• Wrote The History of Rome from 700BC to Augustus, who was during his time
• Was close to many members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, including Augustus
• Livy’s history known to embellish Rome’s heroism
• One of the most used sources in Roman History

Question 6

Publicani

7 things

Answer 6

• Private contractors
• Did many types of management, including tax collection, managing building projects, supplying equipment to the army, and operating mines
• Got contracts by bidding on them to Roman Senate
• Made massive profits by overtaxing subjects of Rome
• Were highly unpopular. They overtaxed people, they overworked miners, and they often acted in a fraudulent manner.
• During the imperial era, the power of the publicani declined as civil administration was developed
• Publicani were often the hiring pool for Roman administration

Question 7

Three major reforms of Licinio-Sextian Laws

Answer 7

1)
Military tribunes with consular powers were abolished. Regular consulships were restored, and plebs gained the ability to run for consulship.
2)
Restrictions were set on the growing concentration of land by patricians to 500 iugeras. Lands from Roman conquests were then redistributed to plebeians in need.
3)
Creditors were limited in their ability to take advantage of those in debt.

Question 8

How were the interests of patricians and wealthy plebeians brought together?
3 things

Answer 8

1) Through the Licinio-Sextian Laws, and others passed subsequently, political offices were opened to plebs who had the means to access them
2) In addition, the number of patricians in Roman society was declining. Wealthy plebs began to fill the roles unfilled by patricians.
3) plebs were able to open all offices by 337 despite patrician resistance

Question 9

What conflict were Licinio-Sextian laws a part of?

Answer 9

The Struggle of the Orders, where plebs and patricians competed for power in Rome.

War, inequality, and economic downturn had disproportionately impacted the plebs, and these shared struggles united them as a class.

Question 10

What conflicts occurred before the Licinio Sextian laws were passed?

Answer 10

1) War against the Etruscan city of Veii
2) A disastrous invasion of Gauls
3) Hostilities with neighboring Latin cities

Question 11

Who passed the Licinio-Sextian Laws?

Answer 11

Lucius Sextius Lateranus
Gaius Licinius Stolo
Both men were tribunes for ten contentious years

Question 12

How did the Licinio-sextian laws manifest in future decades?

2 things

Answer 12

1)
Wealthy plebs united with the patrician class to form a new nobility.
This happened in part due to the opening of Cursus Honorum offices.
2)
The Laws also brought harmony back to Rome. With a new bureaucracy in place, Rome was able to act with far more efficiency than before.
a) On an inner perspective, the laws allowed for the
formation of a bureaucracy capable of organizing
Rome efficiently.
b) On an outwards perspective, the Licinio-Sextian
Laws allowed for Rome to continue its expansion.

Question 13

What expansions occurred after the Licinio-Sextian Laws brought harmony back to Rome?
3 things

Answer 13

1) Rome repelled a Gallic invasion in 349BC
2) Rome renegotiated a treaty with Carthage that granted Rome more power on the peninsula
3) Rome invaded the Samnites, as well as Latin city states.

Question 14

What was rural life like? Talk about small farmers.

5 things

Answer 14

1) This was during social war, so life was very difficult.
2) Land was constantly redistributed and ravaged by war.
3) Land parcels were often too small to sustain peasant farmers.
4) the growing concentration of land to the rich forced many poor farmers into sharecropper-like situations. They had to rent land as tenants, living off of very little.
5) Small independent farmers in rural italy, however, were able to survive. They cultivated grain, which they would sell to nearby towns.

Question 15

Describe life in the city of Rome.

3 things

Answer 15

1) Rome was highly diverse, and its population was only maintained by constant immigration.
2) The people of rome lived in concrete insulae (apartments) at best.

3) Fires, floods and violence (political and criminal) were common and no public fire, flood, or police services.
(fire brigades)

Question 16

What did the poor in Rome do to protect themselves? What did the protection entail?

Answer 16

the poor built voluntary associations based on religious, geographical, occupational ties.

These associations:
- arranged entertainment,
- burial,
- protection against higher authorities,
- and helped to sponsor politicians for their members’
benefit.

Question 17

What were jobs like in Rome for unskilled and semiskilled workers?

Answer 17

Jobs were inconsistent. The unskilled and semiskilled survived on odd jobs like construction and dockwork.

Question 18

How did the poor in Rome feed themselves?

2 things

Answer 18

1) The poor survived donations of grain and money by the wealthy as well as triumphs and celebrations.
2) Also, poor citizens had access to grain subsidies distributed by the government.

Question 19

How did those in Rome distract themselves?

Answer 19

Public entertainment was one way of distracting people. Gladiator fights, chariot racing, plays, and other events were popular. Sports betting and team loyalty was common.

Question 20

How did industry and commerce work in Rome?

Answer 20

Small workshops, or shops that were part-house part-business were the norm. They would operate with family, and a slave or two.

Question 21

How did industries organize themselves in Rome?

2 things

Answer 21

Artisans placed their workshops in neighborhoods based on the craft in question.
They also worked in private order enforcement networks to secure contracts and maintain order.

Question 22

What trades flourished in Rome?

Answer 22

1) The building trade flourished in big cities like Rome.

2) Also, Jewelers,
3) bronze-workers,
4) tailors,
5) ceramic workers,
6) furniture makers,
7) bakers,
8) clothes makers.

Question 23

What were the classes of women?

Answer 23

1) Wealthy
2) Slaves
3) Freeborn

Question 24

What did slave women work in? How were they treated?

Answer 24

They were housekeepers, cooks, maids, weavers, prostitutes.

These slaves regularly gained their freedom, and would either live with their former masters, or branch out with the trades they learned.

Question 25

What did freeborn poor women work in?

Answer 25

They were treated the worst and worked some of the lowliest jobs. They did: 
laundrywork, 
-weaved, 
-turned grindstones, 
-worked as butchers,
-sold fish, 
-worked as waitresses, 
-and prostituted on the side.

Question 26

Why was prostituting hard for freeborns?

Answer 26

They didn’t have the protection of the brothel

Question 27

Slave life in Rome?

3 things

Answer 27

1) Slaves lived a poor life, and were regularly abused. Roman masters did, however, learn from the slave uprisings of the 100s bc. They provided enough positive treatment to slaves so future rebellions could be avoided.
2) Masters often freed their slaves. They regularly became well acquainted with them, and at times treated them as members of the family.
3) In freeing their slaves, masters would often support freedmen in their own ventures. Masters would financially support slaves and share future profits with them.

Question 28

How did freeborns feel about slaves?

Answer 28

Poor freeborns disliked freedmen. Whenever the question of freedmen gaining privileges was put to the test, poor freeborns would always deny. For instance, efforts to give freedmen voting privilege was always denied

Question 29

What changed during this century (130-30BC) ?

5 things.

Answer 29

1) Economic inequality was great, and the concentration of wealth was a huge problem.
2) The Social War also brought changes to Roman life. Namely, the Italian allies finally gained citizenship, although votes were still held in Rome.
3) During this time slave wars also died down.
4) The Republic also began its final decline in this period. Plebs would have less of a voice in government.
5) Finally, land distribution became dependent on military leaders who sought to win over new recruits and please veterans.