Chapter 11: The Roman Empire

Cicero

a Roman orator who made speeches calling on Romans to work together to make Rome a better place.

First Triumvirate

a sharing of power between three people

Julius Caesar

a powerful Roman general who conquered much land and later became dictator of Rome; killed in 44 BC

Augustus

Caesar's adopted son who became sole ruler of Rome after Marc Antony's death; Rome's first emperor

arch

curved structure over an opening

currency

money

Pax Romana

a time of peace and prosperity that lasted for the first 200 years of the Roman Empire

aqueduct

a raised channel used to carry water

Colosseum

A large stadium in ancient Rome where athletic events took place

Romance languages

languages that developed from Latin, such as Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian

mosaic

a grouping of tiny colored stone cubes set in mortar to create a picture or design

Frescoes

a picture directly painted on to a wall

Gladiator

a man in ancient Rome who fought others for entertainment

Christianity

a religion based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth that developed in Judea at the beginning of the 1st century AD

Jesus of Nazareth

Christianity is based on the teachings of this man

Messiah

in Judaism, a new leader that would appear among the Jews and restore the greatness of ancient Israel

Bible

the holy book of Christianity

Crucifixion

a type of execution in which a person was nailed to a cross

Resurrection

in Christianity, Jesus's rise from the dead

disciples

followers

Apostles

the 12 chosen disciples of Jesus who spread his teachings

Paul of Tarses

a follower of Jesus's teachings who spread Christianity after Jesus's death

Constantine

Roman emperor, he was the first Roman emperor to become a Christian.