History Vocabulary — Test 3

INCOMPLETE - History vocabulary from lectures that will appear on test 3/part a of the exam

ALESIA

Point to which Caesar is forced to retreat after rebellion from Vercingetorix → siege of Alesia where Gallic forces are besieged by Caesar, who is also besieged by further Gallic forces; Caesar is victorious and given Triumph

VERCINGETORIX

Leader of Gallic rebellion against Caesar culminating in the Siege of Alesia and the unification of Transalpine and Cisalpine Gaul into a Roman province

RUBICON

River that separates Caesar’s territory and Rome, the crossing of which marked the point Caesar was invading (no imperium outside of province) and declaring war

IACTA ALEA EST

‘The die has been thrown’ → Caesar’s reaction to martial law being declared against him in Rome meaning that he has no other option than to declare war

DYRRHACHIUM

After Caesar’s declaration of war on Rome, rather than meeting him, Pompey retreated to Dyrrhachium and allowed Caesar to march through an empty Rome → then Caesar besieges and defeats, but Pompey escapes

PHARSALUS

After Pompey’s escape at Dyrrhachium, he reassembles army and fights at the Battle of Pharsalus, the decisive battle of the civil war that ends in Pompey’s overwhelming defeat and escape to Egypt

PTOLEMY XIII

• Pharoah of Egypt to which Pompey flees after Pharsalus

• brother/married to Cleopatra VII (he was 12, she was 22)

• betrays Pompey when Caesar arrives in Egypt

• fights war with Caesar and Cleopatra over control of Egypt → is defeated and ends up drowning in the Nile

ALEXANDRIA

City to which Pompey flees before being killed as well as where Cleopatra and Caesar meet, eventually declaring war on Ptolemy XIII and establishing Cleopatra as the unchallenged ruler → Ptolemy XIV is symbolically named co-ruler

CLEOPATRA VII → ONLY DURING CAESAR’S TIME

• co-ruler/sister/wife to Ptolemy XIII that holds most of the power → Ptolemy is 12

• has relationship with Caesar that results in one child, Caesarion

• fights Ptolemy XIII with Caesar to become sole ruler, but does establish symbolic co-ruler Ptolemy XIV

PHARNACES

Son of Mithridates that attacks Caesar, who had gone to Armenia following the siege of Alexandria → defeated easily with only 3 legions at Zela; origin of ‘veni, vidi, vici’

ZELA

Battle between Caesar and Pharnaces where Pharnaces is defeated with only three legions → ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’

VENI VIDI VICI

‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ → written on floats during Caesar’s Triumph after defeating Pharnaces so easily at Zela

CAESARION / PTOLEMY XV CAESAR

Son of Caesar and Cleopatra that is born after Caesar left Alexandria → nicknamed Caesarion, but officially named Ptolemy XV Caesar

THAPSUS

Battle where Caesar attacks unprepared troops of Pompey in North Africa and defeats them → surviving troops are then assembled in Spain

MUNDA

Battle where, for the second time, Caesar attacks unprepared troops of Pompey that had assembled in Spain → defeats them and Pompey’s eldest son is killed; ends Caesar’s civil war

DICTATOR PERPETUUS

Title established by Caesar to allow him to maintain the position of dictator without a term limit → gave unrestrained power since magister equites does not have power to veto and made many unhappy

CURIA POMPEIANA

Temporary Senate House built by Pompey used after the original one was burnt down that featured a massive statue of Pompey → where Caesar was assassinated

MARCUS IUNIUS BRUTUS

One of the main conspirators involved in Caesar’s assassination who’s involvement supposedly shocked Caesar → went on to fight in Battle of Philippi and commit suicide

GAIUS CASSIUS LONGINUS

One of the main conspirators involved in Caesar’s assassination who then fled with Brutus to Macedonia → went on to fight in the Battle of Philippi and commit suicide

TILLIUS CIMBER

Conspirator in Caesar’s assassination who first approached Caesar casually, then tripping him and initiating his death

CASCA

Conspirator in Caesar’s assassination who was the first to stab Caesar

ISTA QUIDEM VIS EST

‘This is assault’ → Caesar’s first reaction to being tripped and grabbed by Cimber

καὶ σύ, τέκνον

‘You too, young man?’ → reference to Homer and reaction of Caesar upon seeing Brutus’ involvement in his assassination quoted by Suetonius

ET TU, BRUTE

‘You too, Brutus?’ → rough, partial translation of Greek Homeric quote described by Suetonius that only starts appearing in the 1500s

ET TU = καὶ σύ

Part directly translated between Caesar’s quote described by Suetonius and later ones used in the 1500s

• Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 1 (1599)

• Henry VI, Part III, by Shakespeare (1591)

• Caesar Interfectus, by Richard Edes (1582)

First uses of ‘Et tu, Brute?’ as Caesar’s reaction to Brutus in his assassination

MARCUS ANTONIUS / MARK ANTONY (UP UNTIL PHILIPPI)

• close ally to Caesar and consul that stepped in with Lepidus after Caesar’s death

• allowed conspirators to escape with proscriptions

• fought with Octavian for the right to Caesar’s legacy, conceding and forming the Second Triumvirate

• defeated Cassius and Brutus at Philippi with Octavian

MARCUS AEMILIUS LEPIDUS (UP UNTIL PHILIPPI)

• magister equites to Caesar that stepped in with Antony after Caesar’s death → took title of pontifex maximus

• formed Second Triumvirate with Antony and Octavian

• remained in Rome during Philippi, then losing most of his territories and being moved to Numidia and Africa

GAIUS OCTAVIUS

• Caesar’s sister’s grandson

• 18 year old student training in Apollonia → studied philosophy and rhetoric

• went on campaign with Caesar in Hispania against Pompey

AMNESTY FOR ASSASSINS

The agreement between Antony/Lepidus and conspirators not to issue proscriptions and allow them to leave Rome in exchange for taking Caesar’s place

GAIUS IULIUS CAESAR OCTAVIANUS (UNTIL PHILIPPI)

• adopted posthumously by Caesar in his will → name modified, including addition of ‘-ian’ to indicate an adoption

• travels to Rome to take position, gathering supporting army along the way

• sides with Senate upon arrival against Antony/Lepidus, taking money set aside for Parthian expedition and defeating them, winning over two legions in the process

• enters Second Triumvirate with Antony and Lepidus as an equal → part of reason for initial conflict

• fought at Philippi with Antony and despite being unable to defeat Brutus, wins conflict due to Cassius and Brutus’ suicide

MUTINA

The first of the two battles between Octavian and Antony to inherit Caesar’s power → Caesar is victorious

FORUM GALLORUM

The second of the two battles between Octavian and Antony to inherit Caesar’s power, ending Antony’s attempts to seize total power → Caesar’s victory involves taking control over two of Antony’s legions

SECOND TRIUMVIRATE

• official alliance and offices of Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus

• five year term that was renewed once

• triumvirs were an official position, but like dictators were for a specific purpose

• came with proscriptions from Antony and Lepidus but not initially from Octavian

TRESVIRI REI PUBLICAE CONSTITUENDAE

Term for the office of triumvir → roughly meaning triumvir for the reconstitution of the state

MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO

Very influential Roman that wrote many works, converted from equestrian to senator, and supported Octavian early on → disliked by Fulvia leading to his being killed in conscriptions after the Second Triumvirate, supposedly having his head and hand hung in on stage in the forum

DIVUS

Meaning divine, specifically in reference to a ruler, that is similar to sainthood but with more power → used in deification of Caesar after his death

DIVI F / DIVI FILIUS

Meaning ‘son of the divine’ → used by Octavian to reference his link to Caesar and establish power

PHILIPPI

• site of battle between Antony/Octavian and Cassius/Brutus

• Antony defeats Cassius but Octavian fails to defeat Brutus

• after his defeat rumour spreads that Cassius has killed himself

• Brutus, thinking his partner in battle has died, kills himself

• hearing that Brutus has committed suicide, Cassius actually kills himself

• the Romans win due to their opponents eliminating themselves