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History Semester 2 > Ancient Rome Test > Flashcards

Ancient Rome Test Flashcards

(90 cards)

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1
Q

Who were Romulus and Remus?

A

According to legend they were 2 brothers who were raised by wolves after being cast aside due to infidelity. Eventually Romulus kills Remus in a fit of rage, and becomes the legendary founder of Rome.

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2
Q

What is the physical landscape of Rome like?

A

It is a narrow peninsula that extends 750 miles south and on average is 150 miles wide. The Apennine Mountains run through the peninsula north to south. Has a few large plains great for farming. Although Apennines are tall much less rugged thus preventing isolated communities. Central location for trade and transportation.

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3
Q

What are 2 good places for farming in Italy?

A

Po Valley in the Northh and the Plain of Catium

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4
Q

What is the Tiber River?

A

The Tiber River was full of trash, sewage, and dead bodies. The Romans used the River as a place for all waste to go. It is still a nasty river today.

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5
Q

Defining a Republic- What is a republic characterized by?

A

In a republic citizens elect leaders to make decisions on their behalf.

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6
Q

What type of government does the United States have? How does this differ from Rome and Greece?

A

The United States has a Democratic Republic. In Greece they had a democracy which is when the majority rule votes and everyone’s vote counts, and is able to decide on all issues. In Rome they had a Republic where citizens elect leaders to make decisions. In America we have too many people for every vote to count, but we can all still vote, but we also elect leaders to make decisions.

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7
Q

What are dictators?

A

a dictator is a leader whose law would overrule the consuls during time of trial. In emergencies one of Rome’s consuls would become dictator for six months. Not all dictators were bad. They could only be dictator for six months so that they did not have to much power.

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8
Q

Cincinnatus- were all dictators considered bad? Who was Cincinnatus and why was he considered a great leader for Rome?

A

No, He was one of the most admired dictators. Named dictator to meet country’s need for a time. He helped defeat an army then returned to work on a farm immediately. He was not eager to hold power for a long time.

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9
Q

Who were the plebeians?

A

The plebeians were small farmers, and laborers. At one time had no say in the government of the republic.

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10
Q

Who were the patricians?

A

Latin nobles/wealthy elite/landowners.

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11
Q

Who were the magistrates?

A

basic name for the elected officials of Rome

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12
Q

Who were the consuls?

A

2 consuls. Highest officials. Managed army and affairs of government. Could veto each other

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13
Q

What was the Roman Senate?

A

Made up of 300 men. served for life. Managed foreign policy and controlled the money. Proposed but could not pass law. They gave advice to the consuls.

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14
Q

Tribunes- what group of people did they serve in Rome?

A

They were the representatives of the plebians

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15
Q

What is a veto?

A

“I forbid” came from the consuls, either could override the other’s decision

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16
Q

What is Latin?

A

The language of the Romans spoke

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17
Q

What are checks and balances?

A

limiting the power of certain people in government

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18
Q

Roman Forum- what went on in this area of the city?

A

Leisure, hanging out,
reading the twelve
tables, trade, political
speeches, food, drink

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19
Q

12 tables- examples of Roman laws, and the reason for posting this in the middle of the city

A

These were the Roman laws. They were placed in the middle of the city so that everyone would see them and they hold everyone accountable, even the leaders. Some examples of Roman laws are:

  1. A dreadfully deformed child shall be quickly killed.
  2. If a father sells his son 3 times, the son shall be free from his father.
  3. A child born after ten months since the father’s death will not be permitted legal inheritance
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20
Q

Legions and formations of the legions- Legionaries, Cavalry, Auxiliary

A

The Roman legions were 6,000 men divided into groups of around 480. Legionaries were roman soldiers. they were well trained, strong, and effective. treated foes very well. archers and light infantry were the auxiliaries. Were eventually paid.

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21
Q

What was a Centurion?

A

Professional leader of a legion

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22
Q

Auxiliary forces in a legion- What were their roles in the legion?

A

They were archers and light infantry

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23
Q

What purpose did decimation serve in the Roman military?

A

this was the practice of beating/stoning every tenth man in a legion that tried to abandon a fight/mutiny against a leader. It was to keep the legions in line.

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24
Q

Equipment, gear, and weapons of the Romans. How did it differ from the Greek Phalanx? Especially the Macedonian Phalanx (that of Alexander the Great)

A

Phalanx were too large and slow. The Romans would have a helmet, shield, javelin, body armor, dagger, sword, sandals, groin protection, woolen tunic, and shoulder plates. They wore nothing on their legs so that they could move quickly.

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25
Punic Wars, significance of the victory for Rome? “Mare Nostrum”­ what does this phrase mean “in Latin” for Rome at this point in history?
series of wars between Rome and Carthage. lasted over 100 years. 146 BC Rome burned Carthage. Romans sowed salt so no crops would grow which wiped out large portion of Carthage's population. Rome's victory gave them complete control of the Mediterranean sea. Rivalry was fierce. "Mare Nostrum" means our sea
26
Hannibal-­What empire did he represent?
The Carthaginian Empire. He was a great war general who marched over the Alps with 40 war elephants and they all survived. He hated Rome and took a blood oath as a child to always hate Rome.
27
Conquest through the Alps
Brought 40 war elephants and 40,000 men in 15 days. All the elephants survived.
28
Scipio Africanus­ his role in the Punic Wars­ what side did he represent, who did he defeat?
General of the Romans he attacked Carthage and forced Hannibal back to Africa.
29
Tiberius & Gaius Gracchus­-What were these young men killed for? What branch of government were they a part of? Why was Tiberius Gracchus’ death a significant turning point in the Republic?
Plebeian tribunes who wanted to give public land to the poor. they gained great deal of power. Senate did not like how much power Tiberius had gained so he was killed by a group of senators. Their bodies were thrown into the Tiber River.
30
Spartacus and the slave uprising ­How long did this last for? Why, and how did it last for so long?
Spartacus and other gladiators broke out of their barracks using kitchen utensils and knives. went on a 3 year rampage through Italy 73 BC- 71 BC. 6000 of Spartacus' followers were crucified along Roman roads.
31
Who was Cicero?
A brilliant lawyer and speaker who eventually became a consul. He opposed Julius Caesar and wanted to return Rome to the ways of the Republic.
32
Julius Caesar-­Role in expanding the empire, as well as his role in the shift from Rome as a Republic to Rome as an Empire
One of Rome's greatest generals and politicians. For several years served as consul. Served in the first triumvirate. He took over Gaul and Britain. He took over as dictator in 45 B.C.E The people who killed Caesar wanted to return Rome to a republic but their actions delivered the deathblow to the republic.
33
What was Gaul?
area of modern France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and part of Germany.
34
Who was Pompey?
he served in the first triumvirate. Became jealous of Caesar and ordered him to return home.
35
Who was Mark Antony?
part of the second triumvirate.
36
What's a triumvirate?
group of three people with equal power- marked the end of the republic
37
“Crossing the Rubicon”­What does this term mean today? What did it mean for Julius Caesar and his legion?
today it means "Making a decision that cannot be undone" For Caesar it meant that there was no turning back
38
Octavian, or Caesar Augustus
Same person. the adopted son of Julius Caesar. He was given the name Caesar Augustus when he became leader. Part of the second triumvirate. He made the government appear to be a republic but he really held all the power. His reign began the "Pax Romana"
39
What contributions to the city of Rome did Caesar Augustus make?
He Constructed aqueducts, fire brigade, police force, free grain to the poor, financed gladiatorial games, rebuilt roads, and turned the "city of brick" into the "city of marble"
40
What was the role of marble in the construction of Rome?
When Augustus reigned he started with a city of brick and as he would rebuild buildings he would instead build them with marble. Rome became a beautiful city with grand marble buildings.
41
Who were the Julio Claudian Emperors (first 5 emperors)
Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero
42
Who was Tiberius?
Adopted by Augustus Reluctantly came emperor after Caesar's two sons died 42 BC- 37 BC At age 22 given military command Sent his nephew to rally his troops to stop invaders from the north When the nephew came home victorious Tiberius became jealous and killed his nephew Died by being smothered by blankets When he was old made to-tor cambers Was in Capry for most of his reign
43
Who was Claudius?
He was very awkward and clumsy but when he became emperor he was a good leader He was the leader who conquered Britain, gave women more rights His first wife had an affair with another man making him angry His second wife was his niece, she wanted to make sure her family stayed in power so she persuaded him to make her son the emperor He was poisoned by a feather, by his wife and doctor Ugly and had bad health
44
Who was Caligula?
12-41 AD, reigned from 37-41 AD His name meant "little boots" Came after Tiberius Suffered a lot as a child, mother exiled and two older brothers executed At first Caligula was a great leader, or he lived up to the expectations of many people by returning exiled people About 7 months after he took he got a mental illness Blackmailed many people and to their estates Pretended to be a god His army was about to cross the English Channel and then he made them stop to pick up seashells Excreted rivals and allies Caged his horse and tried to make him consul He did random acts of cruelty Murder with his sisters
45
Who was Nero?
Nero killed his mother, seduced women and married a male slave He lowered taxes and gave slaves more rights During the Great Fire he is said to have been singing Reigned 54-63 AD He murdered random people Rome became more beautiful during his reign Killed himself
46
When was the Pax Romana?
It lasted 200 years. Pax Romana means peace in Rome. It was from 27 B.C.E. to 180 AD
47
What things characterized the Pax Romana?
Peace and stability in Rome Augustus reign began the Pax Romana Rome was stable
48
Why did Romans need aqueducts?
They needed aqueducts because even though Rome was located on the Tiber River this river was too dirty and polluted to drink. The river had dead bodies, sewage, and trash in it. If the Romans drank the water from the river they would have most likely become ill and died.
49
Arches?
The arches help support a large structure without using more material than necessary. They also look good.
50
What did concrete do for the Roman architects?
It allowed them to create large structures that were lighter than others and concrete held up well
51
What are the romance languages?
the romance languages are languages that came from the roman language of Latin. These languages are French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian
52
What is civil law?
the twelve tables
53
What was Nero's role in the persecution of Christians?
He blamed the Christians for the great fire He said Christians hated the human race and so he persecuted them
54
Great Fire of Rome?
Nero most likely started it, he blamed the Christians, nero is said to have been singing during the great fire. A fire that destroyed rome
55
Gladiator contests/Colosseum
The gladiators were usually slaves. They were trained to fight. many contests in the Colosseum, a gladiator usually had a 90% chance of survival because they were expensive to replace. The Colosseum was built by Titus and Vespasian. Construction began in 70 AD and ended in 80 AD.
56
Roman roads?
Helped connect Rome. Information traveled quicker than it had ever before with these advanced Roman roads.
57
Pompeii
Ancient city in Rome that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 79 AD.
58
Vesuvius
Volcano that erupted in 79 AD and destroyed the city of Pompeii
59
Plaster casts/molds
when archaeologists were digging at Pompeii whenever they would hit an air pocket they would fill it with plaster and then when they dug around it t=it would be a statue of a human who had died in the eruption. When the volcano erupted it "froze time" in Pompeii.
60
Why was Pompeii such a great and miraculous archeological dig site? What did the city help reveal many details on life in Rome that had never before been discovered?
It was great because the lava preserved the city and froze the people so you could see daily life. the city looks and feels the way it was. under 20-60 feet of dirt and volcanic ash.
61
Life like for poor? For rich?
For the poor life was not all that great.
62
Role of baths?
Romans were a very clean people. | They would gather and socialize at bathhouses
63
Role of Roman entertainment in society Why did the emperor hold events free of charge? What was he trying to accomplish?
Trying to control the people. Entertainment was free made the romans happy
64
Christ’s Birth in the empire (around what years), Which Roman province was he born into? What emperor was in power during his birth?
Caesar Augustus was emperor | 4 BC-6BC born in Bethlehem Jesus of Nazareth
65
Jewish Revolt
lasted 4 years Jewish went to Masada They committed suicide so the Romans didn't get to kill them
66
Masada­What happened at Masada? Why would the Jewish people have chosen this fate/outcome?
The Jewish committed suicide | They did this so that the romans didn't have the victory of killing them
67
Gospel for the Jew and the Gentile­ Who was the gentile?
Christianity was not a new religion it was the fulfillment of Judaism A Gentile is someone who is not a jew
68
Josephus & Historical Christ (Primary Source ­reference to Christ)­ Why is this an incredibly important/significant reference?
IDK
69
Tacitus and the Persecution of the Christians (Primary Source on Nero)
IDEK
70
Persecution of Christians
At certain points in roman history it was illegal to be a christian and so they would be persecuted. The Romans did not like how the Christian faith was spreading because Christians were not part of the army. Most persecutions were not wide spread.
71
Jewish “Christians” at the beginning of the church?
The term christian would not be used until nearly 30 years after the life of Christ
72
Christos
Where the term Christian came from
73
Paul and his missionary journeys
Paul accepted Gentiles not just Jews
74
Constantine
The first Christian emperor. Moved the capital to Constantinople. today known as Istanbul. Moving capital weakened western empire. Rome became a symbolic capital. Largest aqueduct.
75
The stolen items from the temple in Jerusalem were used to finance what great building in Rome?
The Colosseum
76
What factors contributed to the downfall of Rome?­ looking for at least 5 issues the empire dealt with­refer to detailed website on moodle and also the notes.
Move of capital Empire too large Continuous attacks from barbarous tribes Too many borders to defend Soldiers no longer properly trained often were not even Roman Fewer people willing to fight in the army as Christianity spreads Rebellions
77
Date for the “fall” of the Western empire_________
476 AD Eastern lasted for nearly 1,000 more years
78
Division of the Empire into east and west
Diocletian did this knowing it would be easier to defend and manage. Split during the 3rd century AD
79
Who divided the empire?
Diocletian
80
Attila the Hun­ where was he from?
Mongolia
81
Germanic Invaders
Vandals and Visigoths
82
Political Corruption/leadership­Remember/refer to the list of emperors and their fate
Very few EMPERORS DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES MOST WERE POISONED OR ASSASSINATED OR COMMITTED SUICIDE
83
Diocletian­-His role in the division of the empire
Diocletian did this knowing it would be easier to defend and manage. Split during the 3rd century AD
84
Justinian
One of the most famous leaders of Byzantium his wife was very smart
85
Orthodox Church
Began in Byzantium
86
Byzantine Empire­ how long did it last after the “Fall of Rome” (Western Empire)
nearly 1,000 years
87
Architectural marvels of the Byzantine empire, walls, aqueducts, chain across the strait of Bosporus
the walls kept the huns out numerous times the largest aqueduct led into this city The chain helped them control trade
88
Constantinople­ why was it a strategic location geographically?
It let the people control trade from the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea
89
Council of Nicaea­Why was this an important moment in the history of the Church?
Council debated and settled disputes about who Christ is/was | Nicene Creed was established
90
Nicene Creed
Says what the early church believed

History Semester 2 (3 decks)

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