words Flashcards
defining specific words or providing translations and more details
Patricians
The ruling class of Ancient Rome.
- wealthy upper class people from old families.
Plebeians
Average working class citizens of Rome.
- these are all free Roman citizens that were not
members of the patrician, senatorial, or equestrian classes.
Anavysos Kouros
Greek statue depicting the idealized representation of a man in his prime/youth.
Lictors
Bodyguards that would accompany the king as he travelled through the city.
Fasces
Axes
- carried by lictors
- acted as a symbol of the king’s power
Res Publica
“public things” - the roman republic was built on the notion that the principal of power should not be held by one man.
Libertas
Liberty
Senatus Consultum
When the senate would make a decision, it was issued as a decree under this name.
Senatus populus que Romanus
“the senate and the people of Rome” - a common phrase appearing all over Rome.
Imperium
“to command”
Hepatoscopy
The inspection of the livers of animals slaughtered in sacrifice in an effort to determine the will of the gods.
- a form of divination
Magister Equituum
“Master of the horse” - an assistant to a chosen dictator.
Tribunus Plebis
“tribune of the plebs”
Veto
“I forbid”
Decemvirate
“the council of ten”
Socii
“partners” - one of the multi-tiered alliance systems presented by Rome.
Municipia
“colonies” - one of the multi-tiered alliance systems presented by Rome.
Maniples
Smaller units; a subdivision of the Roman military (in reference to a battle technique developed in the 4th century)
Cunctator
“the delayer” - title received by Quintus Fabius Maximus based on his technique in avoiding but following
Hannibal during the 2nd Punic War (after Rome received 3 serious defeats from him)
Africanus
“the african” - title received by Cornelius Scipio after defeating Hannibal at the Battle of Zama during the 2nd Punic War.
Triumph
A public procession where the general and his army would parade through the city and end at the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill.
Senatus Consultum Ultimum
“the senate’s final decree”
Optimates
“best men”
Populares
“popular men”
Novus Homo
“new men”
Dignitas
“honour”
Imperium Rei Publicae Constituendae Causa
“power for the purpose of reestablishing the republic”
Triumvir
“three men”
“Non rex sum, sed Caesar”
“I am not king, but Caesar” - Julius Caesar’s response after being accused of wanting to be a king.
Divius Filius
“son of a god”
Princeps Senatus
“first person of the senate” - title that Octavian took to show he felt his government needed to work within the traditions of the senate.
- a solution to avoid suspicion of wanting to become a king and give the illusion that the republic was still standing
Augustus
“revered”
Atrium
Central courtyard in a Roman House - It typically had an opening in its roof to allow for rain to enter and drain into the centre pool.
Peristyle
a colonnaded garden - Located towards the back of a larger home, Could be extremely elaborate depending on the economic status of the family
Tablinium
Located at the back of the atrium, functioned as a public reception area
- Most highly decorated room in the house
Triclinium (tri clinium)
“three recline” - Refers to the dining room where the male head could host dinner parties for friends and clients
- Guests would recline on couches and each couch could accommodate three diners around a centre table
Mos Maiorum
The traditions of the ancestors
paterfamilias
Refers to the father/head of the family
Praenomen
a personal name
Nomen Gentilicium
a mans most important name
Cognomen
the second most important name (if a man had one)
Common Consent
Similar to common law; refers to a type of marriage commonly held by the lower classes.
- The Union was legal as long as the arrangement arranged intact and the children were legitimate
Marriage WITH MANUS
A type of marriage found among upper classes, the wife enter property passed from the authority of her father into the control of her husband
Marriage WITHOUT MANUS
A secondary type of marriage common among upper classes, became more common towards the end of the Republic. The wife remained a member of her father’s family and her property remained her own
Primus Inter Pares
“first among equals”
Equestrian Rank
Refers to members of government, these men did not have the family heritage and connections required to obtain recognition in the Senate.
Verism
An image that was true to life and therefore displayed a person’s individualized features - Refers towards portraiture found, more common during the old republic.
Cuirass
body armour
Ara Pacis
“The altar of peace”
- The greatest sculptural monument of the reign of Augustus,
- it glorifies the Augustine era as the dawn of a new Golden Age.
Pius
“God fearing”
- When someone is considered to be “pius,” it encompasses pious, God fearing, dutiful, and loyal to family and country.
i.e. Aeneas
Pronaos
porch - Referring to A deep columned porch dominating the facade of a temple found in ancient Rome.
Alae
“wings” - Refers to the side passages found in a temple, located next to the cella
Exemplum
A role model that the Roman reader could admire and possibly emulate
i.e. Virgil’s depiction of Aeneas
Praetorian Guard
Specially recruited force created by Augustus, stationed near Rome and were supposed to protect the emperor
Maiestas
“treason” - Referring to the multitude of treason trials placed against various senate members by Tiberius
Pax Romana
“Roman Peace” - One of Augustus’s points of pride.
Auxiliaries
Light army fighting units made up of locals,
- paid less than legionaries,
- upon discharge would receive citizenship along with a bonus
Apotheosis
The transition of an individual from immortal to a god
Dominus et deus
“Lord and God” - Referring specifically to how Domitian demanded to be addressed as
Damnatio Memoriae
“Eradication of memory” - All inscriptions naming the emperor and the statuses of the emperor were destroyed
- While the Senate could vote for an emperor to receive divine status, they could also vote for them to receive this status.
Quadrigae
a four horse chariot - in reference to chariot racing (the most common form of chariot in chariot racing)
Bigae
two horse chariot
Alimenta
A program implemented by Trajan, it subsidized the care and education of children
Edicta
“emperor” - In reference to how during the development of Roman law, the published opinions of the edicta came to be binding in law
Paideia
The system of Education - Brought from Greece to Rome during the Republican period,
- aristocratic boy’s acquired skill in rhetoric and read a canon of classical Greek and Latin works.
Manichaeism
A sect of Christianity found in Egypt, it combined Christian and Manichaean belief
Manichaean
A type of religiosity- believed that the world was divided into two halves, the light and the dark, which were constantly at war
Byzantium
An old Greek city eventually renamed Constantinople
Tetrarchy
Referring to the new order created by Diocletian, it effectively created four emperors
Pontifex Maximus
chief priest
Romanitas
The culture, ethos, and sense of belonging to Rome
Renaissance
“rebirth”
