Highschool Freshman Roman Vocabulary

JRHS Roman Vocabulary for 9th grade

Mare Nostrum

The Mediterranean Sea

Etruscans

Original inhabitants of the Italian peninsula

League of the Seven Hills

The connecting of the clans near Palatine Hill

Romulus

Remus’ twin and founder of Rome

Remus

Romulus’ twin who was killed by Romulus

Pater

 Oldest man in the family. Held authority over other family members, the patriarch.

Clan

Multiple closely related families living near each other.

Tribe

Multiple clans living near each other.

Patricians

Wealthy Romans. Upper class in Rome

Plebians

 Lower class in Rome

Imperium

The power that only the king of Rome held

Fasces

A symbol of power. An axe with rods.

Republic

A type of government in which no one person has power.

Consul

Government officials, replaced the king and held imperium.

Senate

The most powerful and important body of the Roman Republic.

Assembly of Centuries

A group of Plebians that could make laws for the Plebians

Plebiscites

Resolutions made from the Plebeians

Tribune

 An office that protected the rights and interests of the common people.

Veto

A way for the Plebians to hold power in the senate that means, “I forbid!”

Roman Forum

The main governmental building in Rome, like the Whitehouse.

Law of Twelve Tables

The first form of a written law for Rome.

Tribal Assembly

 A new version of the Plebeian assembly that could pass laws to every Roman

Pyrrhus

A distant relative of Alexander the Great

Hannibal

Military genius who gained the trust of his army

Battle of Cannae

A battle fought between the Romans and the Carthaginians

When was the Battle of Cannae fought?

During The Second Punic War

Scipio

A Young commander who made the turning point of The Second Punic War.

Publicans

Corrupt tax collectors

Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus

Noble family whose father was a consul who made changes in land policy.

Marius

The Roman’s new champion after the Gracchi brothers

Sulla

Sympathetic general who rules the army in the east

What three commanders formed the Triumvirate?

Crassus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar

Pompey

A commander who had the support of the Senate part of the Triumvirate.

Crassus

A commander who was very wealthy and was part of the Triumvirate

Julius Caesar

A commander who had the support of the common people.

Triumvirate

An alliance between Crassus, Pompey, and Caesar to rule Rome

Ides of March

The assassination of Caesar in the Senate chamber

What happened in 31 BC

Octavian’s army won the Battle of Actium

Imperator

A title given to a commander of a victorious army

The Romans won The First Punic War. True or false?

True

The Romans fought the Etruscans in The Second Punic War. True or false?

False

What years was The Third Punic War fought?

149BC-146BC