Imperial Rome Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards about the Roman Empire.

Pax Romana

A period of peace and prosperity in Rome.

Augustus

The first true Roman emperor.

Optimates

Elites in Roman politics.

Populares

Populists in Roman politics siding with the common people.

Tiberius Gracchus

A politician who served as a tribune and sought to redistribute public lands to ordinary Romans.

Gaius Gracchus

A politician who proposed land reform, subsidized grain prices, public works, colonies abroad, and extending full Roman citizenship to all peoples in Italy.

Marius

A consul and general who recruited landless men into the army and promised them land after their service.

Social War

A rebellion of socii (Italian peoples with partial citizenship rights) seeking full Roman citizenship between 90 and 89 BCE.

Lucius Cornelius Sulla

A consul who suppressed the socii rebellion and later seized power in Rome, becoming dictator.

Pompey

A general and supporter of Sulla who put down the Third Servile War and expanded the empire.

First Triumvirate

An informal alliance formed in 60 BCE to share power among Pompey, Crassus, and Julius Caesar.

Rubicon River

The river Caesar crossed in 49 BCE, signaling his challenge to the senate and start of civil war.

Brutus and Cassius

Led the assassination of Caesar.

Second Triumvirate

Formed by Octavian, Mark Antony, and Marcus Lepidus to avenge Caesar's death.

Caesarion

Julius Caesar's son with Cleopatra, viewed by Octavian as a threat to his power.

Battle of Actium

Naval battle where Octavian defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

Princeps

Title taken by Augustus, meaning 'first citizen', indicating his power without being explicitly a dictator.

The Five Good Emperors

Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. These emperors chose successors based on talent rather than heredity.

Jesus of Nazareth

Born around 4 BCE and died around 30 CE in Galilee. His teachings became the foundation of Christianity.

Paul of Tarsus

A Hellenized Jew who initially persecuted Christians but had a conversion experience and became a key figure in formalizing Christian beliefs.

Edict of Milan

Granted freedom of religion within the Roman Empire by Constantine.

Council of Nicaea

An ecumenical meeting convened by Constantine to establish Christian doctrine and address heresies like Arianism.

Theodosius I

Made Christianity the state religion in the late 300s.

Curiales

Local officials responsible for local services and collecting taxes, often at their own expense.

Barracks Emperors

The 26 emperors who claimed authority between 235 and 284 AD during the Third Century Crisis.

Diocletian

A cavalry officer who divided Rome and appointed Maximian as co-emperor, creating a tetrarchy.

Stilicho

Half-Roman general who led Roman forces.

Alaric

Visigoth leader who sacked Rome in 410.

Attila the Hun

Led the Huns in attacks on the Byzantine Empire and Italy.

Romulus Augustulus

The Last Emperor within the West.

Odoacer

Barbarian chief who deposed Romulus Augustulus in 476, marking the end of the western half of the Roman Empire.

Ambrose

Bishop of Milan who positioned the church above the state.

Charlemagne

Frankish Emperor crowned emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III in 800.

Augustine

Bishop of Hippo Regius, known for his writings including Confessions and City of God.

Benedict

Established rules for monasteries.

Cassiodorus

Known for his book Institutions of Divine and Secular Literature, which became the classical canon for Western European education.

Codex

A bound book, easier to read and store than scrolls.