Unit 6: Ancient Rome Flashcards
Latifundia
large Roman farming estates bought and run by wealth families
Republic
A form of government in which citizens choose their leaders by voting
Triumvirate
in ancient Rome, a group of three leaders sharing control of the government.
Inflation
a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money.
Tribune
an official in ancient Rome chosen by the plebeians to protect their interests.
Patrician
a member of the privileged upper class.
Plebian
an ordinary citizen in the ancient Roman republic
Paterfamilias
male head of family
Pax Romana
A period of peace and prosperity throughout the Roman Empire, lasting from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180.
gladiators
trained fighters, usually slaves, who fought in arenas as entertainment
Twelve Tables
Rome’s first code of laws; adopted in 450 B.C.
mercenary
hired soldier
conscript
to force someone into military service
Apostle
leader or teacher of a new faith or movement
Heresy
the crime of holding a belief that goes against established doctrine
Bread and Circuses
A Roman bribery method of coping with class difference. Entertainment and food was offered to keep plebeians quiet without actually solving unemployment problems.
Julias Caesar
The great Roman leader who created the first Triumvirate and became dictator for life. Wanted to change Government. Assassinated by Senate:
Octavian/Augustus Caesar
grandnephew of Julius Caesar, adopted as his son; Augustus means “exalted” or “majestic”; became the 1st Roman Emperor
Hannibal Barca
Carthaginian military commander who, in the Second Punic War, attempted a surprise attack on Rome, crossing the Alps with a large group of soldiers, horses, and elephants.
Constantine
Emperor of Rome who adopted the Christian faith and stopped the persecution of Christians (280-337)
Ptolemy
a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer; known for the geocentric theory
Cause of Punic Wars
the primary cause of the wars was a conflict between Rome and Carthage over trade in the Mediterranean Sea and specifically trade in the area surrounding Sicily
Effects of the Punic Wars
the effects were that Rome decisively defeated Carthage in all three wars and took control over the entire Mediterranean Sea region
Punic Wars Time Period
A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage (264-146 B.C.)