Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering Roman history, government structures, civil wars, Christianity, decline, culture, and philosophical thought across all lecture notes.

Rome

The culmination of ancient western civilization, which began near the Tiber River.

Italy

The geographic region that served as the heart of the Roman Empire.

Latins

The first people to settle in Italy.

Etruscans

People who settled in Italy around 800 BC.

League of the seven Hills

Latin villages in the hills surrounding the Tiber River that marked the beginning of the city of Rome.

Romulus & Remus

Brothers who founded Rome according to the legend of how the city was founded.

Roman Family

The social unit that provided the foundation for a strong nation, where the father ruled over every aspect with no interference from the state.

Patricians

The privileged class who held the highest positions in Rome and ran government affairs in the early Republic.

Plebeians

The inferior class composed of the common people, who initially had no say in the government.

Roman Republic

Government established in 50 BC, with power divided among the consuls, the senate, and the assemblies.

Consuls

Officials elected every year who replaced the king in the Roman Republic.

Senate

Body appointed by the consuls that served for life, controlled finances, passed laws, and became the most important and powerful body in Rome.

Assembly of centuries

The chief assembly of the early Roman Republic.

Tribunes

Officials elected to the council of plebeians to protect the rights of the plebeians.

Roman Forum

The section of the city that was the center of the Roman government.

Law of the Twelve Tables

Twelve tablets of laws hung in 450 BC that established the foundation of Roman civil law.

Tribal Assembly

Plebeian assembly connected to the people of Rome that gained the power to pass laws.

Pyrrhus

Leader of Greece who helped keep Rome out, defeating Rome twice while suffering great loss.

Carthage

City located in North Africa, originally part of Phoenicia, that rivaled Rome for authority in the Mediterranean.

Punic Wars

A series of wars between Rome and Carthage that were influential in the shaping of the Mediterranean.

First Punic War

Conflict fought over Sicily where Rome defeated Carthage and forced Carthage to pay for Roman losses.

Second Punic War

War initiated when Carthage attacked a Roman ally. crossed the Alps in winter with his army and elephants, surprised Rome, and inflicted one of the worst defeats in Roman history.

Hannibal

Carthaginian commander who saved carthage

Scipio

Roman commander who attacked the city of Carthage during the Second Punic War.

Third Punic War

Conflict in which Rome completely wiped out Carthage, leading to Rome becoming masters of the Mediterranean.

Gracchus Brothers

Tiberius and Gaius, champions of the common man who tried to divide public land among the poor; Tiberius was murdered by wealthy senators and Gaius lost to the senate.

First Civil War

Conflict where the Tribal Assembly chose Marius and the Senate chose Sulla; Sulla defeated Marius and established a dictatorship.

Second Civil War

Conflict involving Crassus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar; Caesar built an army in Gaul, crossed the Rubicon declaring war, defeated Pompey, and declared himself dictator.

Third Civil War

Power struggle immediately following Caesar's death that divided Rome between Mark Antony and Octavian, ending when Octavian defeated Antony in 31 BC.

Princeps

A title meaning 'First Citizen' that showed Augustus was one of the people.

Augustus

A title bestowed on Octavian that expressed honor and majesty.

Pax Romana

A time period of Roman peace that lasted from 31 BC to 180 AD.

Pontius Pilate

Roman governor who allowed Jesus to be crucified.

Tiberius

Roman Emperor during the death of Jesus.

Gospel

The good news of the kingdom of God spread as the message of the Christians.

Paul

Christian missionary originally called Saul who brought the gospel to the Gentiles.

Nero

Roman emperor known for persecuting Christians and being tutored by Seneca.

Diocletian

Roman emperor who instituted the most widespread Roman persecution of Christians.

Edict of Milan

Decree passed by Constantine that legalized Christianity.

Constantine

Roman emperor who claimed a vision from God, legalized Christianity, ruled the Eastern half from Constantinople, and presided over the Council of Nicaea.

Arius

Teacher who challenged the deity of Christ.

Council of Nicaea

Council presided over by Constantine that affirmed Christ's deity and branded Arianism a heresy.

Diocletion

Roman emperor who divided the Roman Empire in 284 and brought temporary stability to Rome.

Barbarians

People who were not part of the Greek or Roman empire and who enlisted in the Roman army.

Huns

Fierce nomadic tribe from the East that forced Germanic tribes to seek refuge in Rome.

Visigoths

Tribe that rebelled against Rome, defeated Rome, and killed the emperor.

Attila

Leader of the Huns, called the 'scourge of God,' who invaded Roman territory.

vendels

Germanic tribe in North Africa that raided and pillaged Rome, whose name came to mean 'destroyer of property.'

Virgil

Considered the greatest Roman poet and the 'Homer of Rome,' who wrote the Aeneid to exalt Rome.

Horece

Poet of the Augustan Age who wrote satires and warned of the dangers of luxury and ease.

Ovid

Roman author who wrote about mythology and wrote Metamorphoses.

Livy

Roman author who wrote the history of Rome.

Tecitas

Historian who favored the old republic and wrote Annals and Germania.

Latin

The main language for learning and the parent of the Romance languages.

Plutarch

Most famous Greek writer in the Roman world who compared Greek men to Romans.

Glen

Medical figure in Rome who started experimenting with animals.

Pronomey

Astronomer who taught that the earth was the center of the universe, creating a geocentric theory that went unchallenged for years.

Aqueducts

Roman architectural structures that supplied water to many cities.

Circus Maximus

Arena in Rome that held chariot races.

Coliseum

Roman arena known for the brutal slaughter of gladiators and wild beasts.

Epicureans

Philosophical adherents who taught that happiness comes when a man frees his mind from fear.

Lucretius

Author who wrote 'On the Nature of Things' as an expounder of Epicureanism.

Seneca

Leading Stoic in Rome and tutor of Nero who saw Stoicism as the solution to Rome's moral decline.

Struggles in the Republic

patricians ran everything; Plebeians had no say in government

Circus Marimus

Area that held chariot races

Religion

worshipped gods of nature; Turned to philosophy to find happiness and meaning of life

Roman Empire

Defeated the Latins revolts; Secured loyal subjects; Senate gained power during war; corrupted by power

Masters of the Mediteranean

Rome controlled the entire Mediteranean

The senate

not dealing with reform led to disorder