The Story of Rome

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the history of ancient Rome as discussed in the lecture.

Patricians

Wealthy Romans who controlled the senate and made laws.

Domus

A city house where wealthy Romans lived.

Villa

A country house of wealthy Romans.

Atrium

An open courtyard in a Roman house where water was caught.

Peristillium

A walled garden at the back of a Roman house.

Hypocaust

An underground heating system used in Roman buildings.

Dole

A free supply of grain provided by emperors to the populace.

Plebeians

The lower social class in ancient Rome, including laborers and craftsmen.

Insulae

Tall apartment blocks made of wood where Plebeians lived.

Centurion

The leader of a Roman army unit, typically a legion.

Legion

A group of about 5,000 soldiers in the Roman army.

Manumission

The act of freeing a slave from bondage.

Gladiators

Slaves or criminals trained to fight in the amphitheaters.

Circus Maximus

The largest stadium in ancient Rome, famous for chariot racing.

Striggle

A tool used by Romans to scrape oil and dirt off their bodies.

Ludus

The primary school attended by the sons and daughters of patricians.

Polytheistic

The belief in many gods, as practiced by the Romans.

Larium

A shrine in Roman homes dedicated to the family's guardian spirit.

Cremation

The practice of burning a body as part of Roman funeral customs.

Concrete

Building material invented by Romans using volcanic ash and rocks.

Architecture

Roman architecture such as pillars and rounded arches

Language

Romans spread Latin everywhere , now Latin is the base of many languages

Religion

Christianity spread rapidly through Europe once legalized

The Calendar

The modern calendar was heavily influences by Julius Caesar in 46BC