Chapter 5 - The Roman Empire

Question 1

Name two places remains of Rome were found

Answer 1

Pompeii and Herculaneum

Question 2

When did Mount Vesuvius erupt?

Answer 2

79AD

Question 3

Who were the citizens?

Answer 3

Freeborn Men and Women. They had the right to vote, find work and travel.

Question 4

Who were the patricians?

Answer 4

Rich citizens. They owned the slaves.

Question 5

Who were the plebeians?

Answer 5

Poor citizens.

Question 6

Who were the slaves?

Answer 6

The slaves were owned by the patricians. They were not free and wore a tag with their masters name on it.

Question 7

How did people become slaves? (4)

Answer 7

1. Captured in battle.
2. Bought and sold.
3. Sentenced to slavery as a punishment for a crime.
4. Born to slave families.

Question 8

What jobs did slaves do?

Answer 8

Well Treated Slaves: Child carers, teachers, cooks or doctors.
Badly Treated Slaves: Manual labour in salt mines and quarries.

Question 9

What is a manumission?

Answer 9

A ceremony held to celebrate a slaves freedom.

Question 10

How were slaves set free?

Answer 10

They wore a straw cap called the cap of liberty and got tapped on the shoulder with a vindicta.

Question 11

What is a domus?

Answer 11

Patrician house

Question 12

What was the atrium?

Answer 12

An entrance hall with a pond that caught rainwater.

Question 13

What was a peristyle?

Answer 13

A walled garden near the rear of the house.

Question 14

What are murals?

Answer 14

Wall paintings.

Question 15

What are mosaics?

Answer 15

Tiled patterns or pictures made on the floor.

Question 16

Where do the plebeians live?

Answer 16

Insulae - high rise flats with no running water.

Question 17

What were stepping stones used for?

Answer 17

Placed on the roads so people didn’t step on the dirt and rubbish thrown from windows above.

Question 18

What was the Forum?

Answer 18

The forum was the marked place of Rome. People bought wine, bread, meat, fruit and vegetables. A road called the Via Sacra (Sacred Way) ran straight through the middle, where the Roman army sometimes marched.

Question 19

What did the plebeians eat?

Answer 19

Normally ate lentil and barley soup or cheap cuts of meat stewed in vinegar. They were given free grain from the government called dole.

Question 20

What the the patricians eat?

Answer 20

Starter: Stuffed olives, oysters, doormice.
Main course: Pig, boars head, ostrich and lobster.
Dessert: Honey cakes, dates, grapes and other fruit and nuts.

Question 21

What did most Romans wear?

Answer 21

Tunic tied with a belt on the waist. Men wore a loose tunic just under the knees as women wore longer ones. Men wore togas over their tunics outdoors as women wore pallas outdoors. They both wore leather sandles. Only the emperor was aloud to wear purple.

Question 22

What was the Circus Maximus?

Answer 22

A venue for chariot racing which held about 250,000 people. There was four teams, the race consisting of 7 laps around an oval track. They were strapped to their chariots and carried a knife to free themselves from any wreckage.

Question 23

What was the Colleseum?

Answer 23

A amphitheater for gladiator fighting which held 50,000 people. Gladiators were slaves or criminals fighting for their freedom. The crowd decided their fate by cheering or booing. They won large sums of money if they won.

Question 24

Why did people go to the baths?

Answer 24

To relax, talk and meet friends.

Question 25

What were the rooms in the baths? (3)

Answer 25

Rooms in the baths: frigidarium (cold), tepidarium (warm), caldarium (hot).

Question 26

What did the children write on in school?

Answer 26

Wax tablets.

Question 27

What did boys study in grammar school?

Answer 27

Greek, History, Maths and Geography and the work of authors like Plato and Aristotle until were 16. Also oratory (public speaking).

Question 28

What did children do after school?

Answer 28

Went to baths or played games. Played with marbles and rolling hoops. Made footballs by blowing up a pigs bladder.

Question 29

At what ages did children marry?

Answer 29

Girls: 12 Boys: 14

Marriages were arranged by fathers. Girl returned bulla and toys on night before wedding.

Question 30

Who were the gods the Romans worshipped? (6)

Answer 30

Jupiter - King
Juno - Queen of the gods
Mars - War
Venus - Love
Neptune - Sea
Mercury - Messenger

Question 31

What happened when a rich person died?

Answer 31

Laid in the atrium with a coin in their mouth. Rowed across the Styx to the other side (coin for ferry fare). Carried on litter next day in forum. Placed in a sarcophagus or urn.

Question 32

What were the catacombs?

Answer 32

Underground passageways built by Christians where they buried people in walls and built churches.

Question 33

Who was the last king of Rome?

Answer 33

Tarquin - hated so was overthrown in 150BC and Rome became a republic. A Senate was appointed called consults. It lasted 400 years.

Question 34

Who struggled for power in 46BC?

Answer 34

Julius Caesar and Pompey. Caesar killed Pompey and took control but was killed later. His grandnephew Octavius took over and became Emperor Augustus (31BC-14AD).

Question 35

What were legions?

Answer 35

Groups of about 4000 soldiers, which were broken into centuries (100 soldiers). Non citizens were in a reserve force called auxiliaries.

Question 36

How long did a soldier usually serve for?

Answer 36

20-25 years.

Question 37

What did the soldiers wear?

Answer 37

Steal helmet, wool tunic and a leather protective vest, hob-nailed sandals.

Question 38

When did the Roman Empire collapse?

Answer 38

476AD

Question 39

How did they discover concrete?

Answer 39

By mixing lime, water and ash from volcanoes.

Question 40

How did they make roads?

Answer 40

A thick layer of sand was placed on the bottom covered by large stones which were covered in gravel. Smoothie paving stones were then fitted on top.

Question 41

What were aqueducts?

Answer 41

The looked like large sloping bridges. They were built to bring water from mountains to the towns.

Question 42

How did the central heating work?

Answer 42

A wood-burning furnace was lit in the cellar under the house. The warm air from the furnace spread to gaps in the walls and floorboards creating a cosy environment.

Question 43

What was the shopping centre called?

Answer 43

Trajan’s Forum was built on five different levels with over 150 shops and a place for traders to put up their stalls.

Question 44

Explain the calendar.

Answer 44

The year originally began on March 1st until 153BC when it was changed to January 1st. It was divided in 12 months, each named after Roman Gods and Emperors e.g. March - Mars, July - Julius Ceasar.