Intro to AP World History - Unit 5: Ancient Rome

Latin

language of the Romans

tribunes

plebeians elected to fight for the rights of ordinary citizens

Centuriate Assembly

assembly made up of citizen soldiers

legion

5,000 heavily armed foot soldiers

imperator

title for victorious commanders and emperors

bread and circuses

Roman rulers appeased their citizens with bread handouts and violent shows in the Colosseum

Colosseum

amphitheater in Rome where gladiators fought and sporting events were held

Diaspora

Jewish migration across the world following failed rebellions, began with Babylonian exile

Edict of Milan

change in policy put into place by Constantine the Great that established tolerance for Christians

natural laws

philosophical law system based on right and wrong decisions and human nature over laws set in stone and judicial action

New Testament

second half of the Bible that presents history, teachings, and beliefs of Christianity

concrete

building material, stronger version was developed by the Romans

Hannibal

son of defeated general Hamilcar Barca, outsmarted Rome by sneaking across the Alps and attacking Italy, was eventually defeated and fled to Asia Minor

Julius Caesar

elected consul and promoted Pompey and Crassus' legislation

Cincinnatus

model dictator who helped lead Rome to victory and then returned to his farmland

Paul

persecuted missionary, follower of Jesus, helped spread Christianity across the Roman Empire

Jupiter

king of the gods in Roman mythology, god of thunder (Greek equivalent: Zeus)

Mercury

god of shopkeepers, merchants, and travelers (Greek equivalent: Hermes)

Minerva

goddess of wisdom, learning, strategy, arts and crafts; symbol is an owl (Greek equivalent: Athena)

Etruscans

people from northern Italy who inhabited early Rome

consuls

two powerful officials in place of a king

Council of Plebs

assembly of the plebeians, elected tribunes to make laws for the common people

Punic Wars

series of three wars between Rome and Carthage, resulted in the destruction of Carthage

Pax Romana

200 years of peace and prosperity across the Roman empire

mosaics

traditional Roman art, made with pieces of colored stone or glass

aqueducts

large stone channels that carried water from hilltops to cities

martyrs

people who die for their beliefs

barbarians

Greek word used by Romans to describe all people outside of the empire

paterfamilias

male head of a Roman family

parables

short stories about everyday life that taught a religious or moral lesson

rule of law

the principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern

Marius

Roman general who was elected consul numerous times, implemented changes to the Roman army that made it easier for men to become soldiers

Mark Antony

worked with Octavian to punish Caesar's assassins, fell in love with Cleopatra, went to civil war with Octavian, committed suicide after losing the war

Virgil

classical Roman poet who wrote the Aenied

Constantine the Great

Roman emperor who adopted Christianity and stopped the persecution of Christians

Neptune

god of the sea; symbol is a trident (Greek equivalent: Poseidon)

Apollo

god of music, truth, prophecy, the sun, light and healing (Greek equivalent: Apollo)

Vesta

goddess of the hearth, home, and family (Greek equivalent: Hestia)

patricians

wealthy landowners, upper class

Senate

legislative branch of Roman government that consisted of 300 members

praetors

eight judges chosen by the Centuriate Assembly that oversaw criminal and civil courts

latifundia

estate

gladiators

slaves or criminals that fought each other to the death in the Colosseum

Forum

open-air market that became the center of Roman religious, economic, and social activity; Twelve Tables were displayed, also served as center of government

Gospels

four books of the New Testament that describe the teachings of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)

epistles

letters written by Paul in the New Testament to early Christian churches, explained Jesus's teachings

inflation

increase in prices, decrease in the purchasing value of money

Pantheon

group of Roman gods that were adopted from Greek culture, had many human traits

Trinity

the belief that God, although one, is three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Crassus and Pompey

granted extraordinary powers by the Senate in time of crisis, part of the first Triumvirate, Crassus had great wealth, Pompey was a respected military commander

Cleopatra

Egyptian pharaoh that had relationships with Mark Antony and Julius Caesar, lost war to Octavian and committed suicide

Jesus Christ

man whose teachings are the basis of Christianity, born into a poor family around 6 BC

Diocletian

Roman emperor who divided the empire into the eastern and western parts

Pluto

god of the underworld, death, and wealth (Greek equivalent: Hades)

Bacchus

god of wine, the harvest, and theater (Greek equivalent: Dionysus)

Ceres

goddess of the harvest, agriculture, and grain (Greek equivalent: Demeter)

Venus

goddess of love, beauty, and desire; symbols included rose and myrtle (Greek equivalent: Aphrodite)

Mars

god of war and agriculture, second most important god in Greek mythology, considered father of the founders of Rome (Greek equivalent: Ares)

Juno

goddess of women, fertility, and marriage; considered to be the protector of Rome (Greek equivalent: Hera)

plebeians

poor farmers and craftsmen, lower class

Twelve Tables

Roman code of laws written down on bronze tablets

dictator

a leader who rules with total power

triumvirate

a group of three leaders that shared control of the government.

Messiah

anointed one

Stoicism

enduring of pain or hardship without displaying feelings or complaining

Pompeii

city in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius that was destroyed in a violent eruption on August 24, 79 AD

pope

bishop of Rome, head of the Roman Catholic Church

frescoes

painting made on a wall of wet plaster

apostles

closest followers of Jesus

Roman Catholic Church

Christian church that is headed by the pope

Spartacus

gladiator who led a slave revolt from 73 to 71 BC

Augustus Caesar

first emperor of Rome, heir to Julius Caesar, reign began Pax Romana

Peter

first bishop of Rome

Attila the Hun

sole ruler of barbarian Huns that invaded Roman Empire