Chapter 6 - Ancient Rome

Lucius Cornelius Sulla

(138-78 BC) Roman general and politician; he became consul in 88 BC, led to a civil war against Marius and his followers, emerged victorious, and became dictator. (pg. 172)

Augustus

(63 BC-AD 14) This is the title that the Senate gave Octavian. It means "the revered one". First emperor of Rome; he established the Second Triumvirate with Mark Antony and Lepidus. He created the imperial system of administration, established new coinages, and encouraged trade.He was head of the state for more that 40 years. This very long reign made very possible a smooth transition to the new imperial government. He divided the power to rule Rome and its empire between himself and the Senate. He started a vast program to bring peace to the west. He also began a series of conquests that pushed the border of the empire eastward to the Danube River. He took special care of Rome itself, creating a police force and fire brigades and stockpiling food and water supplies. He supported the development of literature. (pg. 174)

Gaius Marius

(c.157-86 BC) Roman general and politician; he eliminated property restrictions for acceptance into the army and began to accept anyone who wished to join the Roman army. He made armies into private forces that became devoted to their generals. Poor people began to join the army, attaching themselves to a general in hopes of sharing the plunder and land at the end of the war. As a result of his changes, armies largely became private forces devoted to the general. Ruthless generals soon realized that they could use the loyalty of their troops as a political tool to increase their own power. (pg. 172)

Inflation

*A dramatic rise in prices*. To maintain the money supply, emperors minted new coins with copper and lead as well as silver. When people realized coins contained less silver, they refused to accept the currency at its face value. The result was ______, or a dramatic rise in prices.

"Rome's final fall was caused solely by invasions." Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Support your answer.

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What were the three different parts of the Roman government?

1) The Senate, a body of 300 members who advised elected officials, controlled public finances, and handled all foreign relations 2) Various popular assemblies, in which all citizens voted on laws and elected officials 3) Officials called magistrates, who put the laws into practice, governed in the name of the Senate and the people, and acted as priests

Apostles

12 disciples whom Jesus had specifically chosen that worked to spread his message; 12 earliest Christian missionaries. (pg. 185)

Senate

A body of legislators; a body of 300 members who advised elected officials, controlled public finances, and handled all foreign relations (pg. 166)

Patricians

A class of powerful landowners in ancient Rome who controlled the government and society; the heads of a few aristocratic families (pg. 165)

Villa

A country home that rich citizens usually had in addition to their city home. It included conveniences such as running water and baths. This was most common during the Pax Romana. (pg. 178)

Civil law

A form of law that Romans used based on a written code of laws

Galen

A physician who lived in Rome during the AD 100s, wrote several volumes that summarized all medical knowledge of his day. For centuries people regarded him as the greatest authority in medicine. (pg.180)

Dictator

A political leader holding unlimited power (pg. 167)

Constitution

A political structure (pg. 166)

Republic

A political system in which the citizens of a region elect representatives to run the government (pg. 165)

Disciples

A small group of people followers (of Jesus). (pg. 184)

Messiah

A spiritual leader, who, according to prophecy, would restore the ancient kingdom and bring peace to the world. (pg. 184)

Veto

Ban (pg. 165) - The tribunes eventually gained the right to _____ laws that seemed harmful or unjust to the plebeians

Popes

Bishops of Rome; were seen as Peter's spiritual heirs. (pg. 187)

How did Rome change from a republic to an empire?

By establishing the example of dictatorship, Sulla had paved the way for major changes in Rome's government. The end of the republic was the result of the ambitions of just a few influential individuals, the most powerful men in Rome. Among those who helped bring an end to the republic were Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompey, and Licinius Crassus. In 60 BC these three men took over the Roman Republic as the First Triumvirate (aka rule of three men). Eventually Crassus died, and Caesar and Pompey faced off in a civil war. Caesar won and the Senate declared him dictator for life in 44 BC. Caesar brought many changes to Rome, which made him popular with the public, but many Senators thought he wanted to make himself king and destroy the Roman Republic. In an effort to stop him from doing this they killed him on the Ides of March - March 15. However, this murder did not save the republic. The Second Triumvirate was composed of Octavian (Caesar's adopted son and heir), Marc Antony, and the high priest Lepidus. Lepidus was pushed aside as Octavian and Antony agreed to govern half the empire each (Octavian in the west and Antony in the east). When civil war between them eventually broke out, Octavian defeated Antony and his ally, Cleopatra. After their suicides, Octavian alone controlled Rome.The Republic was effectively dead and a new period in Roman history was beginning. (pg. 173)

What do you think was Augustus's greatest achievement as emperor? Why?

Creating a police force and fire brigades and stockpiling food and water supplies, because it made Rome much safer and prepared for famine and other disasters.

Plebeians

Farmers or workers, who made up a large part of the population in ancient Rome; the common people

What were engineering, scientific, and architectural accomplishments during this time?

Galen wrote several volumes that summarized all medical knowledge of his day. Ptolemy Synthesized the knowledge of others in a single theory in astronomy - that earth was the center of the universe. They invented concrete. They constructed amazing roads, bridges, amphitheaters, and public buildings. They invented aqueducts and a superior sewage system. In architecture they invented the arch and the vault, which allowed them to construct much larger buildings than earlier societies. (pgs. 180-181)

Jesus of Nazareth

He did not believe in violence but asked people to seek forgiveness for their sins in preparation for the coming of God's Judgment Day. (pg. 184)

Julius Caesar

He was part of the First Triumvirate. When one of the three eventually died (Crassus), he and Pompey faced off in a civil war and he won. Recognizing his power, they named him dictator for life in 44 BC. As a dictator, he brought many changes to Rome. He gave citizenship to people in the provinces and gave public land to veterans. His reforms made him popular with the public, but many Senators thought he wanted to make himself king and destroy the Roman Republic. In a last desperate attempt to save the Roman Republic, a group of Senators murdered him on the Ides of March - March 15th. (pg. 173)

Paul

If it had not been for the work of this Jewish apostle, Christianity might have remained a branch of Judaism. (pg. 185)

What roles did Jesus and Paul play in the early history of Christianity?

Jesus taught everyone to ask for forgiveness from God. Paul is responsible for the fact that Christianity if no longer a branch of Judaism (pg. 185)

Ides of March

March 15th - The day Caesar was killed.

Diocletion

One of the emperors during the reforms. (Part of the decline of Rome). He gave Rome more time to live. He took power in 284 AD. To slow the empire's decline, he changed the empire into an absolute monarchy. He placed himself far above his subjects and ruled with no accountability to anyone. As part of his efforts to improve the efficiency of imperial administration, he divided the empire in two. Ruling the eastern part himself, he appointed a co-emperor to rule the western provinces. Both emperors appointed assistants, called Caesars, who were supposed to help run the empire. He also forced Roman society into a rigid order. Almost every aspect of life was regulated by the imperial administration. Under his decrees, sons were supposed to follow the trades and social positions of their fathers. Peasants were to be permanently tied to the land they farmed. In addition, he increased the army and gave the defense of the empire the bulk of his attention. (pg.189)

Eucharist

One of the religious ceremonies that inspired people's faith and made them feel closer to Jesus. This ceremony was held in memory of Jesus' last supper with his disciples. During this, Christians eat bread and drink wine in memory of Jesus's death and Resurrection. (pg. 187)

Martyrs

People who die for their faith and thus inspire others to believe; like how as Christianity spread through the Roman world, some local officials feared that Christians were conspiring against them, so they arrested and killed many of them. The people who died were seen by the Christians as _____. (pg. 186)

Augurs

Priests in ancient Rome who specialized in interpretation of the natural phenomena sent by the gods. (pg. 179)

What were the results of the Punic Wars?

Results of the First Punic War: - Romans built a navy of their own - Relations between Rome and Carthage were strained Results of Second Punic War: - Rome became the leading power of the western Mediterranean - Romans stripped Carthage of its Navy and lands it had once held in Spain. But, the Romans did not destroy the city Results of Third Punic War: - The Romans enslaved the entire population and completely destroyed the city of Carthage. The banned any people from living in the area

Aqueducts

Roman engineers constructed many amazing things including this. Man-made channels used to bring water to the cities. Without these, Roman cities could not have grown as large as they did.

Circuses

Romans of all classes enjoyed this, where chariot races took place; the site of chariot races in ancient Rome. They enjoyed the crashes in violence the most. This was usually held in the Circus Maximus. This evolved into them throwing condemned criminals into the arena to be torn apart by beasts. (pg. 178)

Triumvirate

Rule of three men. (pg. 173)

Ptolemy

Synthesized the knowledge of others in a single theory in astronomy - that earth was the center of the universe. (pg. 180)

Forum

The assembly place of an ancient ancient Roman city; central square; the laws that the plebeians forced the patricians to write down were displayed here (pg. 165)

What happened to the city of Rome in the year 476?

The barbarian commander Odoacer overthrew the last emperor in the west. Many historians consider this the end of the Western Roman Empire.

Consuls

The chief executives elected to run the government in ancient Rome; two magistrates that took the King's place in Rome (pg. 166)

Paterfamilias

The head of the family; family father; was the oldest living male and had extensive powers over other members of the family. (pg. 179)

Latin

The language of Rome. French, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, and Portuguese all have roots in this. Even English, *which developed from other languages*, owes much of its vocabulary to this. (pg. 182)

What problems helped weaken the Roman empire in the 200s and 300s?

The last of the good emperors died, Rome was left without a strong leader. The eventual result was a series of civil wars. There was an increasing threat of invasion by tribal peoples along both the eastern and western frontiers. To meet this growing threat, emperors increased the size of Rome's army. Soon the the growing demands on both the empire's financial resources and its military caused a serious and prolonged economic crisis. This crisis lessened the stability and prosperity Rome enjoyed during the Pax Romana. As the crisis continued, the empire became a kind of military dictatorship. The legions had become the center of power, as they deposed emperors and elevated their own leaders to the throne. Twenty emperors ruled between 235 and 284; all but one died violently. The insecurity of all the civil wars and invasions affected many aspects of Roman life. Robbery and piracy increased, and travel became hazardous. Merchants feared to ship goods. Military needs required ever-increasing amounts of revenue, and to collect more money, emperors raised taxes. As taxes rose, however, the value of money declined. Since Rome was no longer expanding, conquests no longer brought in new sources of wealth. To maintain the money supply, emperors minted new coins with copper and lead as well as silver. When people realized coins contained less silver, they refused to accept the currency at its face value. The result was inflation, or a dramatic rise in prices.

Attila

The leader of the Huns. In the mid-400s, he led an attack on Gaul. The Roman army alone could not repel him, so they allied with the Visigoths and defeated the Huns in a great battle in 451. Withdrawing from Gaul, he turned on Rome itself. Before the Huns reached the city though, Pope Leo I persuaded him to leave Italy.

Bishop

The most important official of the early Christian Church. They emerged as the church expanded when it began to develop and administrative structure. They emerged to oversee church affairs in most cities and had authority over all other priests within the city. (pg. 187)

Pax Romana

The period from the beginning of Augustus's reign in 27 BC until the death of the last of the Good Emperors in AD 180; it means the "Roman Peace". Several essential traits, such as a stable government, a strong legal system, widespread trade, and, most importantly, peace characterized this long era. (pg. 175)

What was the Pax Romana?

The period from the beginning of Augustus's reign in 27 BC until the death of the last of the Good Emperors in AD 180; it means the "Roman Peace". Several essential traits, such as a stable government, a strong legal system, widespread trade, and, most importantly, peace characterized this long era. (pg. 175)

Christianity

The teachings of Jesus of Nazareth developed into this new religion. (pg. 183)

What was family life like?

There was a male head of the family called the paterfamilias. Within this family structure, Romans emphasized the virtues of simplicity, religious devotion, and obedience. Adoption was also an important aspect of Roman society. It was one way of insuring that the family name was carried on. Roman women could do little without the intervention of a male guardian (her father or husband) though women could own and inherit property. Among the lower classes though, women has more freedom. Lower class women often worked outside of the home as shopkeepers or at similar jobs. In general, parents taught their children at home, but wealthy families might hire expensive tutors or send their sons to exclusive schools. Each Roman family also worshipped local household gods called penates.

What was the Roman view toward science and engineering?

They were practical. They tried to apply the knowledge they gained from science to planning their cities, building water and sewage systems, and improving farming methods. (pg. 180)

Why do you think the Roman government was made up of three separate parts?

To make sure that laws were fair and that every group of people was represented.

How did Rome's location help the city grow into a major power in the Mediterranean?

To the north, the peninsula was protected, though not isolated, by the high mountains of the Alps. To the south, east, and west, the sea provided both protection and a means of rapid transportation. Much of the peninsula had rich soil and a mild climate, able to support a large population.

Gracchi

Two brothers who were among the first officials to notice the growing tension in Rome and try to resolve it. Tiberius Sempornius Gracchus and Gaius Sempronius Gracchus; Roman statesmen; they tried to help ex-soldiers by redistributing public land to small farmers. They had public support, but the Roman elite reacted violently. Fearing that they were trying to reduce its power, the Senate urged mobs to kill them. (pg. 172)

The message of love and eternal life after death, regardless of social position, appealed to many. Roman religious toleration also contributed to its spread. (pg. 186)

Why did Christianity spread so quickly through the Roman world?