Ancient Rome

What is significant about the Latin Language?

- Latin (language of Romans) remained language of learning in the West for long after the Roman fall - It was the official language of Roman Catholic Church in 20th century -More than half of the English words have a basis in Latin

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Positive aspects of Pax Romana

-Had an efficient gov't & able rulers -Augustus stabilized the frontier, glorified Rome w/ splendid buildings, & created a system of gov't that survived for centuries -Augustus had common coinage to make to trade easier (denarius) -Had a vast trading network -The gov't supplied the unemployed w/ daily rations of grain & distracted them w/ gams -Romans were famous for their roads- their roads were very strong & durable

Negative aspects of Pax Romana

-Slaves contributed to 1/3 of the Roman population -Masters were allowed to punish or kill their slaves -Romans had to worship their emperor & certain gods -Most of the city's population was unemployed -Since poor people lived in gross tenements, fire was a constant danger -The games were very corruptive & violent (The Romans enjoyed watching brutal games in which people died) -Huge gap b/n rich & poor

Who invaded Rome and why?

-The Huns (Mongolian nomads) move into the region & began destroying everything in their ways -In effort to flee from the Hun, the Germans pushed into Roman lands

In the republic, in case of divorce, what usually happened with regard to property and children?

-When a couple divorced, the husband typically had to return the wife's dowry. -In any case, the father was almost always awarded custody of his children -If the wife was divorced for adultery, she might have had to give 1/6 of her dowry to her up husband

In the empire, what was the minimum age for girls & boy to marry?

12 for a girl & 14 for a boy

Infantry

5,000 heavily armed foot soldiers

Greco- Roman Civilization / classical civilization

A blend of Greek, Hellenistic and Roman Culture

Hannibal

A brilliant military strategist (in the second Punic war) who assembled an army of 50,00 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 60 elephants with the intent of capturing Rome - walked thru Alps (but failed)

What happened when Diocletian retired?

A civil war broke out, and four powers were competing for power, & among them was Constantine

Republic

A form of government in which power rests with citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders.

Cavalry

A group of soldiers on horseback

Triumvirate

A group of three rulers

Livy

A historian who compiled a multivalve history of Rome during Late Republic - used legends to create Roman myths instead of true history (like Herodotus)

Tacitus

A historian who presented facts accurately (like Thucydides)

Caesar

A military genius & strategist - successfully conquered Gaul & was appointed dictator for life, then was assassinated

Virgil

A poet who spent ten years writing the Latin Epic, Aeneid - modeled his epics after Homer

Ovid

A poet who wrote light, witty poetry for enjoyment wrote Amores

Attila

A power chieftain for the first time united the Huns

The Twelve Tables

A series of twelve tablets that had the basis of Roman law written on them. The twelve tables were significant because they established that all free citizens had a right to the protection of law (including the Plebeians). Equal to USA's constitution

Diocletian

A strong-willed army leader, & Rome's new emperor - limited Roman's personal freedoms (shows that the emperor was trying to gain more control for the better)

Bas-relief

A type of sculpture in which images project from a flat background - used to tell stories & to represent crowds, soldiers & landscapes

Constantine

A young commander who later ended the persecution of Christians

In the republic, what was the role of a guardian for a women?

After the paterfamilias died, and his daughter was left independent, his daughter would have to have a legal guardian (a male figure) for certain legal actions.

In the empire, how did women pursue power behind the scenes?

Although women were citizens, they could not vote or stand for political office. Many women pursued power behind the scenes by influencing their husbands and sons. Some women even publicly spoke out against issues they felt men had ignored.

In the republic, what was an essential characteristic of Roman Marriage?

An essential characteristic of Roman marriage was the consent of each partner. If there was a paterfamilias, his consent at the initiation of the marriage was also required.

Second Triumvirate

Antony, Octavian & Lepidus - ended in jealousy & violence

What happened to the once strong military?

As republic grew more unstable, generals began seizing more power for themselves Replaced citizen-soldiers loyal to republic and recruited soldiers from landless and poor- promised land so that they were loyal to just them The citizen-soldiers were not loyal to Rome - they were devoted to pleasing their commander --> led to generals seizing too much power

First Triumvirate

Caesar, Crassus & Pompey

The Tribal assembly

Citizens grouped according to where they lived (members for life) Elected the tribunes & made laws = to USA's legislative branch

Civil war

Conflict between groups within the same country

In the empire, what were women now able to do that they weren't able to do before? (has something to do w/ $ & death)

Control their finances, create their own wills, & obtain control of their dowries

Octavian

Eventually became the unchallenged ruler of Rome & accepted the title of Augustus Started Pax Romana

What was the result of Hortensia's protest?

Eventually, the Triumvirs reduced the number of women who had to pay taxes from 1,400 to 400. Also, they decided that very wealthy men had to contributed one year of their income to the war expense, and they also had to give the government 15% of their land. Hortensia's speech was successful because there was enough support from the crowd, and although the Triumvirs were angry, they were forced to reconsider.

In the republic who was a woman's guardian

First her father, then husband

In the empire, what were the rules regarding education for females?

For those who could afford education for their children, mothers supervised their learning. Girls could go to elementary schools, but they did not follow their brothers onto higher studies.

What was the economic turmoil during the Roman republic?

Gap b/t rich and poor grew wider - the rich are really rich & they are getting richer & the poor are really poor & getting poorer Rich had huge estates and thousands of slaves were forced to work there Small farmers couldn't compete w large estates so they sold their land to the rich and became homeless and jobless or became migrant workers (some one who moves from place to place to farm depending on season)

What was the difference between Greek & Roman sculptures?

Greeks were known for ideal sculptures, while Romans created realistic sculptures / portraits

Tarquin the Proud

He was he last king of Rome & very cruel tyrant. After his rule, the Romans promised that they would never again by ruled by a king. Instead, they established a republic.

Latifundia

Huge estates for farming

Caesar's reforms

I. Granted Roman citizenship to many people in the provinces II. Expanded the senate to Italy and other regions III. Helped the poor by creating jobs and constructing new public buildings (infrastructure) IV. Started colonies where ppl w/o land could own property V. Increased pay for soldiers

Legions

Large military units that 5,000 Roman soldiers were organized in

What was Rome's policy on how to treat conquered people?

Latins became full citizens. In territories farther from Rome, conquered people had all Roman rights, except the right to vote. All other conquered people became Roman allies. Rome did not interfere with its allies, as long as they supplied troops for the Roman army and did not make friendship treaties with any other state. The new citizens and allies became partners in Rome's growth.

Why are some languages known as Romance languages?

Many languages developed from Latin, and Latin was the name of the Roman Language Ex: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian & Romanian

In the empire, what were the new laws regarding divorce?

Now women were able to ask for a divorce, although men were still typically the only ones who initiated them.

In the late republic, what were the new rules regarding guardianship?

Now, women were allowed to be married w/out transferring their guardian ship to their husbands - this allowed for more freedom

In the republic, what were women expected to always do?

Obey their husbands, raise the children, & do household work

The Greeks

One of the three groups of early settlers - established colonies along Southern Italy. The cities became prosperous and commercially active. Also, the Greek colonies allowed for Italy to have closer contact with Greek civilization. Borrowed religion & gods from Greeks

Latins

One of the three groups of early settlers - were important to Roman history because they built the original settlement at Rome, a cluster of wooden huts on top of Palatine Hill. These settlers were considered to be the first Romans.

The Etruscans

One of the three groups of early settlers - were native to Northern Italy. They were skilled metalworkers and engineers. They introduced Rome to their system of writing, and Rome adopted their alphabet. Introduced Romans to the arch

In the republic, who had initiate divorce?

Only a man

Mosaics

Pictures or designs made by setting small pieces of stone, glass, or tile on a surface

How did Rome fill its army with men?

Rome filled its army with men because it was a requirement for men who owned land to serve in the army. Also, seekers of public offices were required to perform ten years in the military.

For how long did Rome survive after the Pax Romana end?

Rome survived for another 200 years

Why are the Punic Wars significant to Rome's history?

Rome's victories in the Punic Wars gave it dominance over the Western Mediterranean. The Romans then went on to conquer the eastern half. By 70 BCE, Rome's Mediterranean empire stretched from Anatolia in the east to Spain in the West.

Century

Small groups of 80 men that legions were divided into

Dictator

Someone who could be appointed in a time of crisis, and he would have absolute power to make laws and command the army. A dictator's power lasted only for six months. Dictators were chosen by the consuls, and elected by the senate.

What was the short term cause of Rome's fall?

The Huns & Germanic tribes were constantly attacking Rome, and eventually Rome couldn't take it anymore

How long did the Roman empire survive for in total?

The Roman empire survived for 2,000 years a. The first one thousand years was the entire Roman empire b. After 1,000 years, the West fell and the East became known as the Byzantine Empire

The Senate

The aristocratic branch of Rome's government; it held the legislative and administrative functions of the Republic. Advised the Consuls & managed foreign & fincial polcies (300 members) equal to USA's congress

What was Byzantium eventually renamed to, and what does it mean?

The city was eventually renamed to Constantinople - means the city of Constantine

Carthage

The civilization that threatened Rome's commercial dominance of the Mediterranean when it rose to power.

Plebeians

The common farmers, artisans, and merchant who made up the majority of the population

Manus

The control that the husband had over his wife in his marriage

Why was the location of Rome "strategic"?

The location of Rome was strategic because the hills and river brought produce from the inland regions and sea-borne commerce from abroad. Also, the sea itself, was close enough for convenience, yet not too close to bring danger from foreign ships. Rome was in the middle of Italy, thus it was a good location for it to grow.

Why was Byzantium a good place for the new capital?

The new capital stood on the Bosporus Strait, strategically located for trade & defense purposes on a crossroads between West & East, & it was already a prosperous city, & it also was closer to the frontier (good location for defense)

Paterfamilias

The oldest male ascendant in the family who held the paternal power - represents paternal power

Stoicism

The philosophy of Zeno- encouraged virtue, duty, moderation & endurance

Why were the wars with the civilization Carthage known as the Punic Wars?

The wars with Carthage were known as the Punic Wars because Carthage was a civilization of the Phoenicians, and Punic comes from the Latin word for Phoenicians.

Patricians

The wealthy landowners who held most of the power

In the empire, what were the most common professions for women?

They were farmers, prostitutes, tavern-keepers, waitresses, woolworkers, entertainers, washerwomen, maids, and nurses, among other things.

Consuls

Two Roman officials - had a similar job to kings, meaning that they commanded the army and directed the government. (equal to USA president)

Gracchus brothers

Two brothers that were part of the tribal assembly - attempted to help Rome's poor by limiting the size of the estates & giving land to poor - both were assassinated b/c rich did not want to give up their land & they felt threatened by these ideas

Citizenship

Was given to all adult male landowners = to American natural citizens

The Centuriate Assembly

Was made up of citizen-soldiers (members for life) Elected consuls & made laws = to USA's legislative branch

In the republic, what activities could women freely participate in?

Women were free to shop in the marketplace, visit with friends or participate in or attend religious festivals as they wished.

Frescoes

bright, large murals on the wall painted on wet plaster

Augustus

meaning exalted one / imperator (military ruler)

Reforms made by Constantine

• Constantine gained control of the Western part of the empire & continued many of the social & economic policies of Diocletian • He restored the concept of a single ruler when he took control of the east • Moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium

Diocletian's reforms

• He restored order & increased its strength • He doubled the size of the army by hiring mercenaries • Controlled inflation by setting fixed prices on goods • He claimed descent from ancient Roman gods & created ceremonies to present himself in a godlike way & gain more control • He believed that the empire grew too large for only one emperor, so he divided the empire in the Greek-speaking East, & the Latin-speaking West. • He controlled the Eastern half, & appointed a co-ruler for the west, but Diocletian still had overall control

Economical long term causes of fall of Roman Empire

• Hostile tribes on the frontier & pirates (on the sea) disrupted sea trade • Roman lacked new sources of gold & silver since they were not expanding anymore • Gov't raised taxes • Gov't started minting coins that contained less silver- hoped to created more money w/ the less amount of metal - caused economy to suffer from inflation • Agriculture began to face serious problems- Overworked soil lost its fertility - War destroyed farmland W/ a strong economy, the empire cannot grow, prosper, or defend itself against enemies; therefore, it is the most responsible for the downfall of the Roman Empire. Out of the four long term causes, the economical long term cause had the most detrimental effect on Rome because the poor economy did not allow for Rome to trade, to have a strong military, or to have a consistent source of income If the economy isn't growing, then people start to care less about the empire itself, and more about their personal situations - this is the main reason why soldiers became disloyal. W/out the economy no other systems can function

Military & political long term causes of fall of Roman Empire

• Roman soldiers became less disciplined & less loyal - gave their allegiance to commanders instead of Rome • Gov't began to recruit mercenaries - Foreign soldiers who fought for money & accepted lower pay than Romans • Romans became indifferent to empire's fate because the economy was declining, so they were more worried about their personal situations instead of the country's fate. -Ultimately, the fall of Rome was caused by the lack of trade, the decline of agriculture, and inflation.

What was so advanced about Roman architecture?

• The arch, the dome & concrete were combined to build structures, such as the Colosseum & Pantheon (that still exist today) • They built Aqueducts - a structure designed by Roman engineers to bring water into cities • The army built a vast network of roads constructed of stone, concrete & sand ***These means of architecture would not be met again until modern day

5 main principles of law that are still used today

➢ All persons had the right to equal treatment under the law ➢ A person was considered innocent until proven guilty ➢ The burden of proof rested w/ the accuser rather than the accused ➢ A person should be punished for actions, not for thoughts ➢ Any law that seemed unreasonable could be set aside