Rome Grade 7 Only 2 and 3

veto

"I forbid" - to forbid/prevent a law from going into effect. Consuls could veto each other's laws.

Pax Romana

200 year period of peace in Rome.

Republic

A government where citizens elect representatives as their leaders.

dictator

A person who was given total power in times of crisis. But the power was temporary.

Latium

A plain on the west coast of Italy on which the city of Rome was built

gladiator

A prisoner, criminal, or slave who served as a professional fighter in Rome. The most famous place they fought at was the Colosseum.

Punic Wars

A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage (264-146 B.C.); Rome won all 3 wars and Carthage was destroyed. Rome became the dominant power in the western Mediterranean.

Twelve Tables

A set of 12 written laws in the Roman Republic created following demands by plebeians.

Aqueduct

A structure that carries water over long distances

civil war

A war between people of the same country.

Gaul

An ancient region and Roman province that included most of present-day France. Conquered by Caesar.

Sicily

An island in the Mediterranean Sea off the southwest tip of the Italian peninsula...the soccer ball at the bottom of the boot:)

Zama

Battle where Romans defeated Carthage in 202 B.C. during Punic Wars.

Hannibal

Carthaginian military commander in the 2nd Punic War. Attempted a surprise attack on Rome by crossing the Alps with a large group of soldiers, horses, and elephants.

Plebeians

Common, regular people of Rome. They were the farmers, artisans, and merchants who had little wealth or power. They elected tribunes to represent them in government. (They were the poor people of Rome.)

Alps

Europe's Largest Mountain system; located at the northern border of Italy

Julius Caesar

He rose to power and was made dictator (absolute ruler) in 45BC. His rule ended the republic. He was assassinated by some senators 44BC because they wanted to save the republic.

Apenine Mountains

Mountain range that runs down lengths of Italian Peninsula

Tribunes

People who represented the Plebians in government.

Carthage

Phoenician city-state that went to war with Rome in the Punic Wars

Livy

Roman historian whose history of Rome filled 142 volumes (of which only 35 survive) including the earliest history of the war with Hannibal (59 BC to AD 17)

polytheism

The belief in or worship of many gods and goddesses.

Augustus

The first ruler of the Roman Empire. Ruled during the Pax Romana.

Senate

The law-makers of Rome. Made up of 300 members from the Patricians. They served for life. They are also the group that conspired to kill Julius Caesar.

emperor

The ruler of an empire.

persecute

To punish people for their religious beliefs.

Consuls

Two officials who headed the Roman Republic government. They were elected by the Senate.

Patricians

Wealthy, land-holding, upper-class, group of powerful Romans. (They were the rich people of Rome.)

aqueduct

a Roman engineering feat that brought fresh water from up to a hundred miles away to Roman cities

Pantheon

a Roman temple dedicated to all the Roman gods

representative

a person who is elected by citizens to speak or act for them

Tiber River

a river where Rome was founded flowing southward from north-central Italy across the Latium plain, and into the sea

Colosseum

an amphitheater that was used for gladiator fights and other types of entertainment

Forum

an open area near government buildings where Romans would go to express their ideas and discuss politics

Cleopatra

last pharaoh of Egypt; had relationships with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony

Census

population count

Rome

the former center of the both the ancient Roman Republic and the Roman empire;capital of present-day Italy