Roman History and Government

Flashcards covering the key vocabulary and concepts from the Roman History lecture.

Romulus and Remus

• Twin brothers in Roman mythology who founded the city of Rome

• set adrift in a basket on the Tiber River and deposited at the foot of the Palatine Hill

• found and cared for by a she-wolf until a shepherd takes them in

• they decide to build a city on the riverbanks where they were saved but there is a disagreement on where to build this city

  • Romulus killed Remus and became the first king of Rome.

Kingdom

The first period in Roman history, lasting from 753 BC to 510 BC.

Republic

The second period in Roman history, lasting from 509 BC to 27 BC, formed after the expulsion of the last king, Tarquinius.

Empire

The third period in Roman history, lasting from 27 BC to 476 AD.

SPQR

• Senatus Populusque Romanus, the motto of the Roman Republic

  • meaning 'The Senate and People of Rome.'

roman republic ranks

1. consuls

2. senate

3. assembly

Consuls

• The two chief executives of the Roman Republic

  • replacing the king

• with equal power and a one-year term

• nominated by the Senate and confirmed by the Comitia Centuriata (popular assembly)

  • later by the emperor

• commanded the army and convened and presided over senate

• AFTER 367 BC it must be one plebian

• retained the ability to appoint a dictator instead in times of emergency for up to 6 months

Senate

• composed of members from leading families

• Senate did NOT have legislative power but acted rather as ADVISORY council

• about 300 members

• summoned into session by magistrate who submitted matters for debate and discussion

two assmeblies

1. comitia centuriata

2. comitia trbuta

Comitia Centuriata

• The centuriate assembly

• composed of voting groups called centuries (military groups)

• roman body organized into a voting body

• before criminal courts were created it sat as high as a court

  • voted on war and peace

  • elected magistrates

Comitia Tributa

• The tribal assembly

• the assembly that did most of the legislating

• court for serious public offenses involving monetary fines

• up to 25 tribes based on residence

rome’s social classes

1. patricians

2. plebeians

Patricians

• Wealthy, powerful citizens and nobles

• small minority of the population

• initially controlled all aspects of the Roman government.

Plebeians

• Farmers, merchants, artisans, traders, and workers

• the majority of the population

• eventually gained the right to participate in government

Tribune of the Plebs

• in 495 BC the plebians were not happy on the brink of revolt and all skipped town together

• they wanted protection from the ruling patricians

• could intercede on behalf of plebs

• could veto actions of other tribunes

The Law of the Twelve Tables

• created to appease the plebians

  • in 494 BC invaders threaten Rome and the Pleveians refuse to fight until their rights were expanded

  • without the plebeians

  • there would be no Army

  • in 450-51 BC the plebeians had the laws written down, and displayed in the Roman Forum

• covers areas of family law, property, debt, and criminal law.

Table I & III

• legal procedure

  • summoning a defendant to court

  • enforcement of a judgment

Table VIII

• penalized various wrongs (theft, etc)

• person who had been found guilty of speaking false witness shall be hurled from the Tarpeian Rock

Table IX

• crime of treason defined

magistrates

• below consul

• often become a senator after serving as magistrate

• early in 1st century BC the consul Lucius Cornelius Sulla increased the number of praetors to eight

  • two continued to preside over civil matters while 6 additional ones were assigned to specific courts: extortion, bribery, embezzlement, treason, assault, murder, forgery

  • after 1 year of service they customarily went to become provincial governors

First Triumvirate

• rule of 3 men

  1. Julius Caesar (takes control in 44 BC)

     • “dictator for life”

  2. Gnaeus Pompey (Caesar defeats)

  3. Licinius Crassus (dies)

• bad news for Caesar

  • many senators believed Caesar wanted to become king and plotted to kill him

    • march 15th 44BC Caesar is assassinated

Julius Caesar

Took control of Rome in 44 BC and declared himself 'Dictator for Life' before being assassinated

Second Triumvirate

• Octavian “Augustus” (Caesar’s heir and adopted son)

• Marc Anthony (defeated by Octavian)

• Lepidus (“retired”)

• 31 BC: Octavian wins the Battle of Actium and finally defeats Antony and Cleopatra

  • Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide after this

• 27 BC: Octavian becomes “Augustus” — Rome’s 1st emperor

Augustus (Octavian)

• The first Roman emperor, formerly Octavian, who won the Battle of Actium in 31 BC and became emperor in 27 BC

  • Julius Caesar's heir — adopted son

Julio-Claudian Dynasty

• The first Roman imperial dynasty

• Including:

  • Augustus: 27 BC — 14 AD

  • Tiberius: 14 — 37 AD

  • Caligula: 37 — 41 AD

  • Nero: 54 — 68 AD

Year of Four Emperors

• civil war after Nero (68-69 AD)

• Vespasian takes over begins the Flavian dynasty

Flavian Dynasty

• Vespasian: 69 — 79 AD

• Titus: 79 — 81 AD

• Domitian: 81 — 96 AD

The Nerva-Antonine Dynasty

• Nerva: 96 — 98 AD

• Trajan: 98 — 117 AD

• Hadrian: 117 — 138 AD

Constantine

• converts to Christianity in 312 AD

  • Edict of Milan in 313 AD formally ended Christian persecution and proclaimed religious neutrality

• Empire splits btx east (Constantinople) and west (Rome) with separate emperors

• 476 AD: the last emperor of the west is defeated by the Germanic prince Odovacar

• the east or Byzantine Empire continues for centuries

• Justinian (emperor from 537-65 AD) codified Roman law