The Roman World Flashcards
Imperium
In the Roman Republic, the right to command troops that belonged to the chief executive offices (consuls and praetors); A Roman military commanders know as an imperator. In the Roman Empire, the title imperator (emperor) came to be used for the ruler. The right to rule
Latifundia
large landed estates in the Roman Empire (singular: latifundium)
Optimates
“best men.” Aristocratic leaders in the late Roman Republic who generally came from senatorial families and wished to retain their oligarchical privileges
Patricians
Great landowners who became the ruling class in the Roman Republic
Plebians
The class of Roman citizens that included nonpatrician landowners, craftspeople, merchants, and small farmers in the Roman Republic. Their struggle for equal right with the patricians dominated much of the Republic’s history
Equestrians
A group of extremely wealthy men in the late Roman Republic who were effectively barred from high office but sought political power commensurate with their wealth; called equestrians because many had gotten their start as cavalry officers (equites)
Senate
The leading council of the Roman Republic; composed of about three hundred men (senators) who served for life and dominated much of the political life of the Republic
Consul
The chief executive officers of the Roman Republic. Two were chosen annually to administer the government and lead the army in battle
Rhetoric
The art of persuasive speaking, in the Middle Ages, one of the seven liberal arts.
Dictator
In the Roman Republic, an official granted unlimited power to run the state for a short period of time, usually six months, during an emergency
Pax Romanian
“Roman Peace.” A term used to refer to the stability and prosperity that Roman rule brought to the Mediterranean world and much of western Europe during the first and second centuries
Good Emperors
The five emperors who ruled from 96 to 180 ( Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius), a period of peace and prosperity for the Roman Empire
Eucharist
A Christian sacrament in which consecrated bread and wine are consumed in celebration of Jesus’s Last Supper; also called the Lord’s Supper or Communion
Jesus of Nazareth
(c. 6 B.C.E. ? 29 C.E.)
- Preached humility, charity, and brotherly love to Jews
- Massiah who messaged about the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Executed around the years-29-34 C.E. in Jerusalem
Martyr
A person who is killed because of their religous belief
Pompeii
The town that was buried under volcanic ash after Mout Vesuvius erupted. Many people in the town died due to toxic fumes in the air
The Pantheon
One of Rome’s greatest buildings. It was constructed of brick, six kinds or concrete, and mable, it was a stunning example of the Romans’ engineering skills. It had a dome on it
Insulae
Roman apartment. They were made of concrete and could be up to six stories high. Often times they were in danger of collapsing.
The Colosseum
One of the most famous building that was made using concete and curvilinear forms. It was the location of Gladiator games
Aqueduct
A massive construction that would transport water to Roman towns. They were built to use gravity and the channel of the water to transport the water far distances.
What did Italy’s geography make for Rome?
It made Rome a natural crossroads in Italy and defendable
Who were the Etruscans?
People who lived north of Rome and heavily infulenced their culture
What Roman tale is central to how Romans explained the foundation of the Roman Republic and its values?
The Rape of Lucretia
What was the male head of the Roman family called?
paterfamilias
What did the plebeians do to gain political and social rights?
They formed both popular assemblies and threatened to physically leave Rome defenseless
What did Rome offer its allies that resulted in Rome gradually expanding it’s power in the Ancient World
Full Roman Citizenship
At the end of the Third Punic War who did Rome destroy
Thier rival Carthage
What during the late Republic was highly opportunistic and sought glory?
Roman imperial expansion
What did wealthy Romans want thier children trained in?
Greek language and rhetoric`
Who in Rome held absolute power over all aspects of his family
Paterfamilias
What Rome invention and use led to the construction of grandiose architecture?
Concrete
What was the only Greek philosopy that was widely accepted in Rome?
Stoicism
Who were the equites?
A wealthy and ambitious class of Romans who appeared in the late Republic era.
What did Sulla’s use of army in the late Roman Republic political disputes led to?
A dangerous model for future Roman generals
What was Marius’s military innovation?
A recruited army of poor volunteers into his private army
The equestrian Ciceros was one of the last true Romans to due what?
- Advocated in balanced government
- Order
- a brilliant speaker and lawyer
Where did Roman slaves work?
Latifundias
Who did the Roman people accepted to have absolute power at the end of the Roman Republic?
Augustus (princeps)
Under Augustus, what was the princeps?
An absolute monarch whose power overshadowed the Senate
Under who’s rule was Rome’s limitless expansion into central Europe halted?
Augustus
What varied widely in different areas of the Roman Empire?
Romanization
What did Augustus creat? (religion wise)
The imperial cult or the offical state religion of the Romena Empire
What poem is about the legendary foudning of Rome?
Aeneid
What poem resulted in the exile of Ovid from the city of Rome?
Art of Love
What did the historian Livey write with emphasis?
of teaching moral lessons in his histories of Rome
What emperors gradually tookmore power away from the Roman senate?
Julio-Claudian Emperors
In what reign was the Roman Empire in its greatest period of prosperity and growth?
The reign of the five “Good Emperors”
What stimulated manufacturing and industry in the Early Empire?
Trade and commerce
What remained the most important economic activity in the Early Empire?
Agriculture
Who was the historian during the reign of the five “good emperors” and the “silver age” of Latin literature?
Tacitus
Who was the last of the five “good emperors” and what was he?
Marcus Aurelius and an important stoic philosopher
What were the gladiator shows of Imperial Rome used as?
A governmnet support spectacles to entertain the masses.
What did the Upper Class women of the Early Empire gain?
Considerable freedom and independence
When could slaves gain freedom and were treated better?
The Early Roman Empire
What cult was popular among the masses during the Early Empire period?
The cult of Isis
What cult did Roman soldiers favor?
The cult of Mithraism
What did Jesus teachings (Sermon on the Mount) stress?
- devotion to the values of humanity
- Charity
- True brotherly love
What is Paul of Tarsus often called?
The 2nd founder of Christianity
What does the gospels mean?
Good news
What did Paul of Tarsus argue about women?
Wome were subservient to men in teh Christian communiteis
What was the terrible third century marked by?
- Civil War
- Economic problems
- Invasions by people outside of the Empire
