Unit two: The Roman Republic Flashcards
Patricians
Upper class of the Republic; a collection of Elite families who hold seats in the senate.
Plebeians
Everyone in Rome besides the Patricians; treated poorly for early Republic history despite some being very wealthy and influential.
Clients
A Roman citizen who had responsibility given to them by a Roman government official in exchange for protection from the Roman official.
Consul
Two elected officials who were responsible for making laws; they were elected for one year each.
Tribunes of the Plebs (Tribuni Plebis)
Officers of the Plebs; in charge of defending plebs’ property and human rights.
Imperium
The power to carry out Roman law and military affairs, this power was given to all Roman government officials (Ex; dictator).
Veto (intercessio)
The ability to say no to a law proposed by another magistrate of equal or lower standing.
Sacrosanctitas
The declaration of an object, place, etc. to be unbreakable because it is sacred.
Praetor
A third colleague who worked alongside the consuls (after the Lextian - Sextian laws were passed) who had imperium.
Provocatio
The right given to Roman citizens to appeal against the actions of the magistracy.
Dictator
A patrician that can come into power during a “crisis” and pass whatever laws they want to.
Secession
Emigration of Rome, most often by poorly treated plebs.
Pontifex Maximus
The highest ranking religious official in Rome.
Cursus Honorum
The prerequisites required before gaining political power.
1. Serve in the Military
2. Have been an Praetor
Comitia Curiata
Election court, 30 lawmakers divided evenly between 3 regions each with a leader
Comitia Centuriata
Hundred elections; elections for consuls, praetors, censors as well as war and peace treaties, all Roman citizens could vote.
Comitia Tributa
35 tribes all of which oversaw monetary punishments; crimes punishable by fines
Concilium Plebis
35 tribes made up of Plebians, was created in 287 BCE to give Plebians power in the government.
Plebiseita
A law that was passed by the plebians in the magistry.
The Expansion of Rome/ Conquest of Italy (3 stages)
- Establishment of Rome, Capture of Veii, and Latin league
- Samnite Wars + Latin war
- Reduction of Etrusca and Southern Italy
Laws of the 12 tables
A public display of the rights that each Roman citizen had.
Lincian-Sextian Laws
Allowed plebs to vote and hold power in office.
Struggle of the orders: Key Chronology
Begining: plebs are dirt boo
middle: spurius maleius you can marry the dirt now
end: lincian sextian laws ig your not dirt anymore so yay
In the beginning: Only patrician rule, plebs are seen as dirt and not worthy enough to be in government, middle: Pleb and Patrician marriage allowed, Spurius Maelius affair, end: Lincian - Sextian laws, Lex Hortensia allows plebs to enforce law and be a part of the government.
Spurius Maelius Affair
Plebian who tried to gain power by feeding others during a famine. Was executed because Patricians; A) didn’t want a pleb in office, and B) thought he wanted to overthrow the government and become king. Used as an example to Plebs to scare them into “staying in their place”.
Groups of People in Republic Era Italy
Etruscans, Greeks, Samnites , Latins and Celts
Contact and conflict, colonization, conquest; how did Romans become so powerful as a republic?
They would colonize smaller regions and colonies and then force them into allyship in which they would use them for military power to go to the same over and over again.
Status, treaties, alliances, friendship; how did the Romans go about friendship or alliances? How did they gain allies?
They gained allies by forcing them into submission. “If you can’t beat em join em”
How do Roman and Latin colonies interact with one another before and after the second Punic War?
Roman colonies surrounded Latin colonies, after the war they were intertwined.
Municipa
Towns with Roman citizenship but no right to vote. Shitty deal because they had to go into the military if needed and pay taxes but again can’t vote. Taxation without representation.
Allies/ Roman’s “friends”
Defeated enemies whose choice was to join the Romans or die. “surrendering in good faith of the Roman people”
What does Rome rely on for their manpower?
Defeated enemies turned into allies.
Are Rome’s allies seen as equals to Romans?
NO - they are seen as people in debt who owe Rome military assistance.
Are all Roman allyships on the same level of dependency? Or do they vary on a case-by-case basis?
Case by case basis depending on the severity of the defeat.
Treaty of 509
In the first treaty between Carthage and Rome; both parties were not allowed to trespass on either property, not attack each other’s allies, and equal rights between the two.
Treaty of 348
2nd treaty between Rome and Carthage; Carthage has all control of Punic ports.
Treaty of 279
3rd treaty between Rome and Carthage, Carthage was forced to give Romans and unequal amount of land and power.
Philinus treaty
Rome’s agreement not to enter Sicily and Carthage’s agreement not to set foot on the peninsula
Recap of Phonecian colonization
10th century BCE; lots of town and trade, tons of tribute payments throughout all of the colonies.
Carthage and the surrounding area
Located in both Europe and Africa, had lots of interaction and connections with Egypt and Etrucsa.
Why is Sicily so important
It is incredibly fertile and developed for its time. Kind of the Jerusalem of all the ancient Latin empires and colonies.
Tribute Payment
A payment of submission or alliance to a higher power/party. Ex) German reparations following WW1
Punic Wars
a series of three conflicts involving the Roman Republic and the Empire of Carthage from 264 BCE until 146 BCE. F
Illyrian Wars
3 wars that ended in Illyrian’s demise
Macedonian Wars
The Macedonian Wars were a series of conflicts fought by the Roman Republic and its Greek allies in the eastern Mediterranean against several different major Greek kingdoms.
Hannibal
Hannibal was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the 2nd Punic War
Battle of Cannae
Hannibal’s army in cartage defeated a large number of Romans in the second Punic war
