history, test 2 Flashcards
(92 cards)
who created the via Appia?
Appius Claudius Caecus (caecus = blind)
which road goes due east right from Rome to Tibur (modern Tivoli)
via Valeria
who is hired by the Greeks to keep Romans out of southern Italy?
King Pyrrhus of Epirus
what does Pyrrhus bring when he comes to southern Italy?
20 elephants, 3000 cavalry, 25 000 infantry
what do romans call the elephants to make fun of them?
lucanian cows
why were elephants considered a “secret weapon”?
horses are afraid of elephants, therefore their presence rendered the calvary useless
where did the “pyrrhic victory” take place?
Ausculum
how did Pyrrhus die?
in Argos, a women threw a roof tile at him, it hit him in the head and he died
which Greek city hired Pyrrhus?
Tarentum
which Egyptian king made a peace treaty with Rome?
Ptolemy the II of Alexandria
roman territory spans from: ____
Pisae in the east to ariminum in the west
what is the name of the mercenaries that the Syracusians hired to fight the carthaginians?
mamertines
4 things romans debated over when deciding whether or not to help in the greek/carthaginian conflict
- they need to protect the commercial interests of their greek allies: Sicily is a bread basket (olives and wheat in particular)
- sicily is a good base for expanding into southern Italy: Rome does not want the carthaginians to get a foothold in Sicily
- military glory: carthaginians at this point are the biggest economic force in the mediterranean, getting the wealth from North African would keep Rome from collapsing
- finances: general advantage of gaining slaves and money, as Rome expands that then creates more money
how long does the war with Carthage last?
24 years
how did Romans fight the Carthaginians, who were primarily a naval culture?
They created these planks of wood with a nail in the end (called a crow) to attach to carthaginian ships: they would get really close, pull in the oars and drop these boards on carthaginian ships and have soldiers run onto the boats
what were the 2 major defeats in the first punic war?
a land battle in Africa and a battle in drepanum
what was the name of the Roman admiral who did not ask the gods for their approval during the Carthaginian war?
P. Claudius Pulcher
how many ships did P. Claudius Pulcher lose?
93 of 120
what was the method for getting the gods approval at sea?
you would go out with a crate of chickens, ask the gods “should I do this” and then give the chickens seeds. if the chickens eat the seeds, the gods have given you their blessing
carthaginians bring in one of their best generals, named:
Hamilcar Barca
which river in (modern day) Spain is designated as the boundary between Carthaginian and Roman territory?
Ebro river: Rome stays north, Carthage stays south
what is the name of Hamilcar Barca’s eldest son?
Hannibal Barca
who besieged Saguntum?
Hannibal Barca
why was Hannibal’s approach so unexpected?
he crossed the pyrenees mountains and the alps in the winter, in the ancient world they only fought during the summer