Unit 5: Roman Empire

Nero

Roman Emperor notorious for his monstrous vice and fantastic luxury (was said to have started a fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64). Persecuted Christians.

Hadrian

Roman Emperor who was the adoptive son of Trajan. Built Hadrian's wall in Britain.

Julius Caesar

Roman dictator who attempted reform of Rome, his death lead to his leaders establishing Rome as an Empire

Augustus

Roman statesman who established the Roman Empire and became emperor in 27 BC

Twelve Tables

Rome's first code of laws; adopted in 450 B.C.

Patricians

The land-owning noblemen in Ancient Rome

Republic

Today: A form of government in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws. In Rome: Led by Senators, the Senators are not voted in. The people can only vote on senate law proposals, and can only vote yes or no.

Romulus and Remus

Traditional story of how Rome began. Twins abandoned and rescued by a wolf, raised by a shepherd . Grew to build Rome. Romulus later killed Remus after arguing over which hill to build the city on. Though to be descended from Aeneas after he left the Trojan War for Italy

Consuls

Two officials from the patrician class were appointed each year of the Roman Republic to supervise the government and command the armies

Celts

Umbrella term for many tribal Ancient people sharing a similar culture and language. Spread throughout much of Ancient Europe, but Romans interacted with them in Northern Italy, Spain, and especially in Gaul and Britannia

Bishop

high-ranking Church official with authority over a local area, or diocese

Cleopatra

last pharaoh of Egypt; had relationships with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony; Octavian's enemy

Apostle

leader or teacher of a new faith or movement

Punic Wars (264-146 BC)

series of 3 wars between Rome and Carthage

Diaspora

the dispersion of the Jews outside Israel

Diaspora

the dispersion of the Jews outside Israel by the Roman Empire.

Roman Kingdom

753 BCE - 509 BCE. A period of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a monarchical form of government of the city of Rome and its territories. Little is certain about the history of the kingdom as nearly no written records from that time survive. However, it began with the city's founding and ended with the overthrow of the kings and the establishment of the Roman Republic.

Spartacus

A Roman gladiator who led the most serious slave revolt in Roman history from 73 to 71 B.C.E.).

Pantheon

A building built in Rome during the reign of Augustus as a temple to all the gods of ancient Rome

Inflation

A general and progressive increase in prices

Triumvirate

A group of three rulers. Most famously Crassus, Pompey and Julius Caesar who dominated Roman politics until the death of Crassus and Civil War between Pompey and Caesar

Colosseum

A large stadium in ancient Rome where athletic events took place

Phalanx

A military formation of foot soldiers armed with spears and shields

Legion

A military unit of the ancient Roman army, made up of about 5,000 foot soldiers and a group of soldiers on horseback.

Etruscans

A pre Indo European people who inhabited early Italy and greatly influenced the Romans (though they'd never admit bc Rome really was very obsessed with the Ancient Greeks)

Aqueduct

A raised channel used to carry water from mountains into cities

Rome

Capital of Roman Empire for most of its history; Rome existed only as a small city state centered around the city of Rome for hundreds of years before its massive expansion. During the height of the Roman Empire, the city of Rome became the largest city in human history up until that point with a population of over 1,000,000 in 100 AD. A city that size would not exist again for over 1500 years

Hannibal

Carthaginian military commander who, in the Second Punic War, attempted a surprise attack on Rome, crossing the Alps with a large group of soldiers, horses, and elephants.

Constantinople

City founded as the second capital of the Roman Empire; later became the capital of the Byzantine Empire; named after Emperor Constantine.

Byzantine Empire

Eastern half of the Roman Empire that survived the fall of the Western half for nearly 1000 years. The government eventually switched to speaking Greek, but they saw themselves as the direct continuation of the Roman Empire

Tetrarchy

Emperor Diocletian's division of the Roman Empire into four seperate administrative districts

Five Good Emperors

Five consecutive Roman emperors (Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, and Marcus Aurelius) distinguished by their benevolence and moderation. Each emperor is chosen by the last emperor based on merit, and legally adopted as his son. In this time, Rome is at the height of its size and power (especially under Trajan)

Paul

Follower of Jesus who helped spread Christianity throughout the Roman world.

Jesus of Nazareth

Founder of Christianity

Pope

Head of the Roman Catholic Church

Dictator

In Rome, originally someone who took power during crisis times. After the reign of the dictator Sulla, and especially after Julius Caesar became dictator for life, the term took on a different meaning (closer to the older Greek word - tyrant)

Senate

In ancient Rome, the supreme governing body, originally made up only of aristocrats.

Hadrian's Wall

In present day Scotland, built to keep barbarian invaders from Roman Britain. Punctuated with forts, customs stops, signal posts and on either side, a 30 foot moat for added protection. Soldiers were posted on its top which functioned as a road.

Trajan

Leader of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire came to be at its greatest extent.

Latins

People from the ancient country of Latium, an area in what is now the country of Italy.

Pax Romana

200 year period of peace in Rome.

Roman Slavery

35% of the population in Rome was slaves making it a true slave society - The prices of slaves varied depending on a number of factors such as abilities, looks - They were exploited physically, economically, socially, and sexually However, people could only become a slave by 1) being conquered in a war, 2) committing a crime, 3) becoming largely in debt to someone. Race, skin color was not a factor, and people could not be born into slavery

Christianity

A religion started in the Roman Empire in the Jewish province of Judaea, became quite popular in the East but in secrecy - Christians were at first persecuted by the Romans. Later, Constantine promotes tolerance and eventually converts to himself. Soon after, all Roman emperors, and most Roman citizens became Christian. Spread quickly, in part because lifted the birthright restrictions of Judaism - Anybody could be Christian

Roman Dictator

A temporary Roman Ruler with absolute power chosen during an emergency.

Crisis of the Third Century

A time in Rome of extreme political upheaval, famine, foreign and civil war.

Civil War

A war between people of the same country. Common throughout Ancient Roman history.

Peter

A.D. 5-67 One of the 12 apostles of Jesus; Roman Catholics consider him to be the first pope, bishop of Rome

Plebeians

All non-land-owning, free men in Ancient Rome

Carthage

An ancient city on the north coast of Africa, and the capital of the Carthaginian Empire which spread across much of North Africa and Spain

Vestal Virgins

An ancient line of priestesses of the goddess of the hearth, Vesta. A vestal entered service at about 6 - 10 yrs. old and served for 30 years. After age 30, a vestal was free to marry -- though few did. They oversaw a number of rituals.

Gaul

An ancient region and Roman province that included most of present-day France

Tribunes

An officer of ancient Rome elected by the plebeians to protect their rights from arbitrary acts of the patrician magistrates.

Constantine

Western Roman emperor who 1) defeated the other three rulers of the Tetrarchy, unifying the empire again 2) Moved the capital to the East and created Constantinople 3) Adopted the Christian faith and stopped the persecution of Christians (280-337)

Achaean League

a group of Greek city states that banded together to resist power encroachments into Greece, sided with Romans against Macedonians, but later declared war on Rome to resist rule in 146 BCE, were defeated and subjugated in the same year