Roman Empire
Battle of Actium
battle between Marc Antony and Octavian. Antony is defeated and Octavian renames himself Augustus and sole ruler of Rome
corruption
decay of people's values
arches
design created by the Romans, round in shape, can support more weight than other shapes
Diocletian
emperor who felt the empire was too big so he split it ruling the eastern half, appointing a co ruler for the western half
Constantine
emperor who made Christianity the official religion of Rome
Attila
fearsome Hun leader who raided Roman territory in the east
Pax Romana
first 200 years of the Roman Empire that was a time of peace and prosperity
civil law
legal system based on a written code of laws
Messiah
means "God's anointed one" in Hebrew
currency
money Romans used to pay for their trade goods
Paul of Tarsus
most important figure in the spread of Christianity after Jesus's death
Julius Caesar
most powerful Roman general.
Cicero
philosopher and orator who tried to stop the chaos in Roman government
Pompey
powerful and influential man of Rome who made an alliance to rule Rome with Julius Caesar and Crassus
aqueducts
raised channel used to carry water from mountains into cities
Christianity
religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Justinian
ruled from 527-565 who organized all laws into a new legal system. Eastern Empire declined after his death
Theodora
smart and powerful wife of Justinian who encouraged him to fight and put down riots
Byzantine Empire
the society that developed in the Eastern Roman Empire
Augustus
took the title 'princeps', adopted son of Caesar; first emperor of Rome; name means "revered one"
fresco
type of painting done on plaster
Roman Accomplishments
written laws, rights and duties for citizens, large and strong buildings, durable roads, aqueducts, realistic statues, lifelike portraits, columns, created cement, created a calendar
Ovid
wrote poems about Roman mythology
Marc Antony
Caesar's former assistant. Married Cleopatra
Galen
Greek surgeon whose work on the heart was used for centuries by doctors
Romance languages
Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Romanian
Resurrection
Jesus's rise from the dead
Apostles
12 disciples whom Jesus chose to receive special training
crucifixion
a type of execution in which a person was nailed to a cross
Colosseum
a huge building constructed for gladiator fights
