Rome Vocabulary

Section #1

Monarchy

• Gov’t where one head chief or leader rules

Romulus & Remus

• According to legend, two sons who founded Rome

Republic

• Many people and places all under the control of one country, territory or person

Empire

• Gov’t where voters elect officials to run gov’t=Representative Democracy

Latins

• First people to build Rome – known as first Romans

• Dictator-absolute ruler, can be elected• Senate-legislative and administrative; make

foreign and financial decisions and advise consuls; includes 300 members chosen for life

• Assemblies-elect tribunes and make laws; made up of citizens

• Magistrate/Consuls-two chief executives; ran government and commanded the army

• Senate

• Assemblies

• Magistrate/Consul

• Tribunes-10 member assemblies of Plebians to see if laws help people

• Twelve Tables-Rome’s recorded laws on metal and placed in forum for all to see

• Censors-registered citizens to their wealth, oversaw moral conduct of citizens; count people

• Veto-”forbid”-go against, stop something, cancel out laws of decisions

• Checks & Balances-checking another branch of gov’t power so it doesn’t make poor decisions or get too powerful

• Patricians-nobility, powerful landowners

• Plebians-workers, farmers, artisans

Punic Wars• 1st Punic War-Rome gains Sicily, Carthage• 2nd Punic War-Hannibal invades Italy through Alps;

wins at Cannae: Scipio wins at Saguntum, Scipio sails to Carthage, Hannibal comes home, Scipio wins there at Zama

• Hannibal – Carthaginian General• Scipio – Roman General/Consul• 3rd Punic War-utter destruction of Carthage (burned

to the ground) • Legions – large military units of Roman soldiers (500

foot, Calvary support. 80men=century/centurion)

Rome Vocab section #2

• Tiberius & Gaius Gracchus- attempted to help poor; proposed limiting estates and to give land to the poor

• Gnaeus Pompey- popular general in the 1st triumvirate; fought Caesar in civil war and lost – he then fled Rome

• Civil War- conflict between groups within the same country

• Julius Caesar- military leader, elected dictator for life; wins civil war; assassinated in 44 B.C.

• Triumvirate-rule of three; 1st triumvirate: Pompey, Caesar, and Crassus

• Marc Antony- drove Caesar’s conspirators out of Rome; led armies east to gain land; formed 2nd triumvirate; commits suicide

• Cleopatra-Queen of Egypt; has relationship w/Rome & Caesar; has relationship w/ Marc Antony-commits suicide instead of being captured by Augustus

• Octavian/Augustus-pushed out Marc Antony; starts Pax Romana-Golden Age; known as “the revered one”; dies in 14 A.D.; takes over Egypt; credited with great improvements

• Pax Romana- period of Roman peace; 200 yrs. of peace & prosperity for Rome; starts w/ Augustus; reduces powers of SAM

• Caligula-37-41 A.D.; mentally disturbed• Nero-54-68 A.D.; insane; good administrator; vicious,

murders, persecuted Christians** at this time in Roman history Rome was left without a strong leader

• Domitian- 81-96 A.D.; ruled as dictator; feared treason everywhere & executed many

• Nerva-96-98 A.D.; began custom of adopting an heir

• Trajan-98-117 A.D.; empire reaches greatest heights; building program; social welfare

• Hadrian-117-138 A.D.; consolidated conquests; reorganized bureaucracy, WALL

• Antoninus Pius-138-161 A.D.; reign was largely a period of peace & prosperity

• Marcus Aurelias-161-180 A.D.; height of economic prosperity; defeat invaders; wrote philosophy

• Gladiators/Colosseum- trained fighters, usually slaves; Drew lg. crowds-fought people & animals to death; public executions. Colosseum: large arena

• Aqueducts- bridge like structure carried water from the mountains to the cities; later destroyed by barbarians

• Pompeii- town destroyed by eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. killing about 2,000 people

• Virgil-poet, wrote Aeneid-about Prince of Troy; explains reason for Roman expansion

• Tacitus- wrote Annals Histories; history of Romans-presented facts accurately

• Horace-writer; wrote about human emotions in odes, satires and letters

• Ptolemy-studied astronomy (suns & stars) revolved around earth; theory accepted for 1500 yrs.

• Greco-Roman culture-mixing of Greek, Hellenistic and Roman culture

• Mosaic-pictures made of crushed glass and stone

Rome vocab section #3

• Rabbis-Jewish scholars who interpret scriptures; learned Jewish law-leaders of the people

• Diaspora-spreading out of Jews from the Holy Land

• Bishops-above the priests in each city• Peter-traveled to Rome from Jerusalem and

becomes the first bishop

• Patriarchs-Bishops in empire cities• Jesus-teacher; Jesus of Nazareth; Son of God;

Takes away peoples sins by dying on a cross; people who believe in him will be forgiven and go to heaven

• Apostles-people who spread good news of Jesus

• Paul-traveled spreading Christianity; was known as Saul until he changed his name

• Martyrs-Christians put to death for their beliefs

• Pope- “father” supreme patriarch /leader of Roman Catholic Church

• Inflation-rise in prices because of a decrease in money value

• Diocletian-General in Roman Empire; rules WEST. Emperor in 284 A.D.; splits empire to more easily control it.

• Constantine-Co-Emperor-eventually wins out; makes Christianity legal; becomes emperor in EAST; makes area Christian after victorious in battle

• Barbarians-nomadic tribes who invade Roman Empire; Germanic tribes; many settle and create kingdoms

• Goths-located N. or Danube river; heavily armed (raid & plunder); Visogoths & Ostrogoths

• Angles & Saxons-invade NW Europe; settle in England and Ireland; from Mainland Europe

• Magyars –invaders who settle in Hungary• Attila the Hun-attacks Gaul & invades Rome;

come from Russia area; Invade/conquer N. Africa,• Mercenaries-soldiers who fought for money; not

necessarily Roman men-less loyal to Empire