Y9 culture & context

Question 1

What did the romans believe that priests did?

Answer 1

Interepet the will of the gods

Question 2

What did the romans believe that the oracles did?

Answer 2

Offered prophecy from a divine source

Question 3

Which god did the romans believe assigned oracles their power?

Answer 3

Apollo

Question 4

What is a prophecy?

Answer 4

A prediction of future events + a message from the gods

Question 5

What are the names of the 3 fates?

Answer 5

Nona, Decuma and Morta

Question 6

Describe each of the fates and their abilities

Answer 6

• Nona = young woman who spun thread of life + determined what each person’s like would be like
• Decuma = mature woman who measured out the thread + determined how long each life would last
• morta = old woman who cut the thread of life + cause each person’s death

Question 7

What is a sibyl?

Answer 7

The name given to a special priestess of Apollo

Question 8

What is the story of the Sybilline books?

Answer 8

• In the 6th century BC, the sibyl appeared before Tarquinius Superbus with 9 books of prophecy for a large sum of gold. Every time he refused to buy them, she’d burn 3 books and ask for the same price for the remaining. In the end he buys 3 books for the price of 9
• however in 83BC, the books were burned along with the temple of Jupiter

Question 9

What is the prophecy of Aeneas’ fate as told by Jupiter?

Answer 9

• Venus is scared that Aeneas (her son) won’t fulfill his destiny of being the father of the Roman race
• Jupiter tells her that Aeneas will win a war against the Italian and his son ascanius/julus rules for 30yrs + will move the Roman stronghold from Lavinium to Alba Longa and kings descended from him will rule for another 300yrs
• Rhea Silva will give birth to twins and Romulus will rule the Roman people (named after himself) and rule an empire whose power knows no limits of time or space

Question 10

What is an omen?

Answer 10

A happening believed to be a sign or warning of some future event from the gods

Question 11

What were the sybilline books?

Answer 11

• a collection of prophecies that were purchased from the Sibyl by Tarquinius superbus
• preserved by Roman gov for centuries in the temple of Jupiter

Question 12

When did kings rule Rome?

Answer 12

• ruled by 7 kings between 753BC-509BC
• started with Romulus and then last was Lucius Tarquinius

Question 13

What was there to dislike about Tarquinius superbus?

Answer 13

• notorious = murdered his wife + came to power by murdering the 6th king of Rome (Servius)
• ruled through violence + intimidation
• son raped a Roman noblewoman, Lucretia in 509BC

Question 14

Strengths of the Roman Empire

Answer 14

• shared power = reduces risk of having a tyrant
• rulers selected annually
• stable form of government that lasted for 500yrs
• emphasis on debate, discussion and consensus

Question 15

What was the most senior position on the republic?

Answer 15

• consulship
• elected annually
• 2 consuls

Question 16

Weaknesses of the Roman republic

Answer 16

• significant inequality in Roman society
• citizens divided by wealth, ancestry and gender
• tension between rich and poor grew
• individual ambitions of politicians lead to series of civil wars in the first century BC