CLA 2103 LEC 7

What was Ostia?

The port city of Rome (meaning "doors")

Where did the Celts/Gauls originally migrate from?

The Eurasian steppes

Who was Cincinnatus?

A Roman farmer who was given absolute dictatorial power to save a trapped army, won the battle, and gave up his power after only 16 days to return to his farm

What was the Latin Settlement of 338 BC?

A confederation where Rome acted as hegemon, allowing allied militaries (socii) to join the Roman army and massively boost their manpower

What event sparked the Second Samnite War?

A territorial dispute regarding Fregellae and Neapolis

What happened at the Claudine Forks during the Second Samnite War?

The Samnites trapped a Roman consular army, forcing the Latins to pay for a humiliating treaty to recover them

What was the primary weakness of the traditional Phalanx formation?

It was vulnerable on the flanks and struggled to maneuver over harsh, uneven terrain

What was the major tactical advantage of the Roman Maniple formation?

Its "checkerboard" structure protected flanks and allowed easy maneuverability over rough terrain

What was the downside of the Maniple formation compared to the Phalanx?

It required significant drilling and training, necessitating a shift toward a regular military

Who were the Hastati?

The 40-man front line of the Maniple, consisting of the youngest and least experienced soldiers

Who were the Principes?

The 40-man central line of the Maniple, consisting of more experienced and better-equipped soldiers

Who were the Triarii?

The 20-man third line of the Maniple, consisting of the oldest, wealthiest, and most experienced veterans who anchored troop morale

Who were the Velites?

Light-footed skirmishers assigned to draw out the enemy and retreat through the gaps of the Maniple

What three pieces of equipment defined the early Roman heavy infantry?

The scutum (tower shield), gladius (short sword), and pilum (javelin)

What social class typically held the rank of Centurion in early Rome?

The Plebeians (as the army provided their only real social mobility)

How did Rome secure its conquered territories after the Third Samnite War?

By establishing coloniae (walled military forts farmed by Roman veterans) to prevent defections

What did the Lex Hortensia (287 BC) establish?

It made decisions by the Concilium plebis legally binding for all Romans, granting Tribunes of the Plebs immense legislative power

Who did Tarentum call in to fight on their behalf against Rome in 281 BC?

Pyrrhus of Epirus

What battle formation and weapon did Pyrrhus of Epirus bring to Italy?

The 256-man Macedonian Phalanx and the 6-meter-long sarissa spear

What happened at the Battle of Asculum (279 BC)?

Rome lost the battle but inflicted such devastating, irreplaceable casualties on Pyrrhus that it coined the term "Pyrrhic victory"

Why did Pyrrhus leave Italy for Sicily after the Battle of Asculum?

To fight the Carthaginians, who were allied with Rome

Which Carthaginian general sent 120 ships to aid Rome against Pyrrhus of Epirus?

Mago