Roman Culture and People

Question 1

Alexandria

Answer 1

port city located on the Mediterranean Sea in northern Egypt

Question 2

Alps

Answer 2

Mountain region at top/northern part of Italy

Question 3

Carthage

Answer 3

Northern African city, located in modern-day Libya

Question 4

Pyrenees

Answer 4

mountain range between Spain and France

Question 5

Delphi

Answer 5

an ancient religious sanctuary dedicated to Apollo. Located on Mount Parnassus in Greece

Question 6

Etruria

Answer 6

region in central Italy

Question 7

Latium

Answer 7

region in central western Italy where Rome was founded, below Etruria

Question 8

Campania

Answer 8

region in south Italy, below Latium

Question 9

Caesar

Answer 9

(100-44 b.c.) most brilliant statesman, general, would-be emperor; conquers Gaul; feud w Pompey; dictator perpetuus; stabbed on Ides of March; wrote Commentarii De Bello Gallico (often shortened to Bellum Gallicum) and the Commentarii de Bello Civili (often shortened to Bellum Civile)

Question 10

Cicero

Answer 10

greatest orator ever, idealistic statesman; exiled bc of politics; Cicero’s consulship 63 b.c.- elected in his first year of eligibility, Cicero puts down a dangerous coup by patrician malcontent Catiline

Question 11

Brutus

Answer 11

Roman senator murdered Caesar, committed suicide after loss at Philippi

Question 12

Clodius

Answer 12

rich young unscrupulous political hitman; exiles Cicero; gets killed in street fight

Question 13

Octavian (Augustus)

Answer 13

2nd triumvirate; defeats Antony and Cleopatra at Battle of Actium; succeeds Caesar as 1st emperor, Julio-Claudian; Pax Romana

Question 14

Battle of Pharsalus

Answer 14

48 BCE Caesar defeated Pompey at Pharsalus in Greece; declared Dictator Perpetuus

Question 15

Battle of Philippi

Answer 15

42 BCE fought between the Octavian and Mark Antony on the one side against Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Caesar and champions of the Republican cause; the 2nd Triumvirate won

Question 16

Pompey

Answer 16

1st triumvirate; ally and later enemy of Caesar; defeated Mithridates and the pirates; significant in Rome’s transformation from a republic to empire; defeated at Pharsalus; assassinated in Egypt

Question 17

Crassus

Answer 17

1st triumvirate; played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire; “richest man in Rome.”; lost war and life in Parthia

Question 18

Catiline

Answer 18

Roman patrician and senator best known for the second Catilinarian conspiracy, an attempt to overthrow the Roman Republic and, in particular, the power of the aristocratic Senate; coup exposed by Cicero

Question 19

Vesuvius

Answer 19

volcano that erupted in 76 CE during Titus’ reign and destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum

Question 20

the Five Good Emperors

Answer 20

(96-192 CE) Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius (MATH N)

Question 21

the Flavians

Answer 21

(69- 96 CE) Vespasian, Titus, Domitian; built the Colosseum, harshly put down a Jewish rebellion and destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem; Mt Vesuvius erupts

Question 22

centaurs

Answer 22

half man, half horse

Question 23

Fates

Answer 23

Clotho (Spinner), Lachesis (Allotter), and Atropos (Inflexible); Clotho spun the “thread” of human fate, Lachesis dispensed it, and Atropos cut the thread

Question 24

Furies

Answer 24

3 Bird-like women with snakey hair; goddesses of vengeance who punished men for crimes against the natural order

Question 25

Muses goddesses of literature, science, and the arts;

Answer 25

Calliope - epic poetry; Clio - muse of history; Erato - love poetry; Euterpe - music; Melpomene - tragedy Polyhymnia - sacred poetry; Terpsichore - dance; Thalia - comedy; Urania- astrology

Question 26

nymphs

Answer 26

female nature deities

Question 27

satyrs

Answer 27

half man, half goat

Question 28

Kalends

Answer 28

the first day of the month in the ancient Roman calendar.

Question 29

Nones

Answer 29

5th or 7th day of month

Question 30

Ides

Answer 30

13th or 15th day of month

Question 31

pridie

Answer 31

the day before

Question 32

a.d. (ante diem)

Answer 32

the number of days before the kalends, nones, or ides of a Roman month

Question 33

consul

Answer 33

two men elected annually; heads of state; 3rd and highest office

Question 34

dictator

Answer 34

takes over for both consuls in an emergency

Question 35

praetor

Answer 35

many at a time, judge; 2nd office held in a political career

Question 36

tribunus

Answer 36

a title of various offices; the two most important were the tribuni plebis (represents the common people, power of veto) and tribuni militum

Question 37

fasces

Answer 37

a bundle of rods with a projecting axe blade; symbol of power

Question 38

equites

Answer 38

a class of citizens who originally formed the cavalry of the Roman army and at a later period were a wealthy class of great political importance; class under patrician

Question 39

pontifex maximus

Answer 39

chief priest

Question 40

augures

Answer 40

priests who prophesy by interpreting the flight of birds

Question 41

legio

Answer 41

legions: 3,000-6,000 men

Question 42

castra

Answer 42

military camp

Question 43

legatus

Answer 43

commander of a legion

Question 44

impedimentia

Answer 44

baggage/gear