Western Civ Prologue-Ch. 7

quizlet still sucks (stop making me pay)

Aeneid

An epic poem by Virgil chronicling the adventures of the Trojan prince Aeneas that portrayed the Roman ideals of duty, piety and faithfulness; Aeneas was the ancestor of Romulus

Octavian

Roman statesman who established the Roman Empire and became emperor in 27 BC

Second Triumvirate

Octavian, Mark Antony, Lepidus

Pax Romana

A period of peace and prosperity throughout the Roman Empire, lasting from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180.

Augustus

(63 BCE - 14 CE) First emperor of Rome (27 BCE - 14 CE) He restored order and prosperity to the Empire after nearly a century of turmoil. Grandnephew to Julius Caesar.

Marc Antony

ally then rival of Octavian; married Egyptian Queen Cleopatra

Cleopatra

last pharaoh of Egypt; had relationships with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony; Octavian's enemy

Romanization

The process by which the Latin language and Roman culture became dominant in the western provinces of the Roman Empire. Romans did not seek to Romanize them, but the subjugated people pursued it.

Roman Roads

50,000 miles spanned the Roman Empire, spreading its legions, culture and immense influence.

Forum

Rome's public meeting place

Princeps

Title meaning "first man" taken by Augustus

Praetorian Guard

the military unit that served as the personal bodyguard of the Roman emperors

Bread and Circuses

A Roman bribery method of coping with class difference. Entertainment and food was offered to keep plebeians quiet without actually solving unemployment problems.

Roman Baths

a building containing a complex of rooms designed for bathing, relaxing, and socializing, as used in ancient Rome.

Aqueducts

Bridge-like stone structures that carry water from the hills into Roman cities

Julio-Claudian Dynasty

Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero

Flavian Dynasty

a dynasty of Roman emperors from 69 to 96 including Vespasian and his sons Titus and Domitian

Colesseum

used for Gladiator fights, housed 50,000 people, the first and largest amphitheater to be built in Rome

Five Good Emperors

Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius

Last of the "Good Emperors", Wrote "Meditations" personal reflections of his beliefs, End of the Pax Romana

Jesus of Nazareth

a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity

Paul of Tarsus

A Jew from Asia Minor that played the most influential role in the spread of Christianity. Paul never met Jesus but he had a vision one day of speaking to him.

Centurion Cornelius

first Roman gentile convert

Germanic Tribes

Nomadic groups that invaded the Roman Empire from the North and East. They caused the fall of Rome.

Jewish Diaspora

the scattering of the Jewish people outside their homeland beginning about 586 BCE

Masada

A mountaintop fortress where the Jews held off the Roman soldiers for three years.

Debasement of coinage

Putting less precious metal in each coin and adding more metal of less worth without changing the coin's face value.

Emperor Valerian

Defeated and captured by the Persians

Apostle

leader or teacher of a new faith or movement

Pontius Pilate

The Roman governor of Judea. Although he found Jesus guilty of nothing, he sentenced him to death by crucifixion.

Adoptive Succession

Each emperor adopted a person whom they could train to be an effective heir

Hadrian's Wall

80 mile wall across northern britan to show the barbarian tribes that rome wasn't expanding

Martyr

A person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs

Crucifixion

Roman method of execution by nailing a person to a wooden cross

Road to Damascus

A phrase sometimes used to refer to the conversion of Paul, who saw the resurrected Jesus on his way to the Syrian city of Damascus.

Seven Hills of Rome

The Palatine, Capitoline, Caelian, Esquiline, Aventine, Viminal, and Quirinal Hills. The tallest and most important were the Capitoline and Palatine, especially for early settlement at Rome in the 10th and 8th centuries BC, respectively.

Romulus and Remus

Traditional story of how Rome began. Twins abandoned and rescued by a wolf, raised by a shepherd . Grew to build Rome. Romulus later killed Remus

753 BC

Founding of Rome

509 BC

Roman Republic established

Republic

A form of government in which citizens choose their leaders by voting

Roman Senate

a council of wealthy and powerful Romans that advised the city's leaders

Patrician

In ancient Rome, a member of the privileged upper class.

Plebians

Members of the lower class of Ancient Rome including farmers, merchants, artisans and traders

Roman Consuls

2 Roman rulers with equal powers who each ruled for ONE YEAR. Could veto each other.

Dictator of Rome

Assumed absolute power during times of emergency; led to corruption

Twelve Tables

Rome's first code of laws; adopted in 450 B.C.

Tribunes

An officer of ancient Rome elected by the plebeians to protect their rights from arbitrary acts of the patrician magistrates.

Rhetoric

the art of using language effectively and persuasively

Pantheon, Rome

118-125 CE; temple dedicated to all gods

Roman Legion

The Armies of Rome. Rome's Military was its great strength. They build the Roads and kept the borders of the Empire safe. Loyal to their Generals.

Centurion

Roman army officer (commanding a company of about 100 soldiers)

Punic Wars

A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage (264-146 B.C.); resulted in the destruction of Carthage and Rome's dominance over the western Mediterranean.

Carthage

An ancient city on the north coast of Africa

Hannibal Barca

Carthaginian General who invaded northern Italy by bringing elephants over the Alps

Scipio Africanus

Roman general who commanded the invasion of Carthage in the second Punic War and defeated Hannibal at Zama (circa 237-183 BC)

Carthago delenda est

Latin for "Carthage must be destroyed." Cato ended every speech with this

Gracchus Brothers

Gais & Tiberious Gracchus were two Roman brothers who tried to reform Rome's social and political structure for the lower class

Julius Caesar

Made dictator for life in 45 BCE, after conquering Gaul, assassinated in 44 BCE by the Senate because they were afraid of his power

44 BC

Assassination of Julius Caesar

Vestal Virgins

An ancient line of priestesses of the goddess of the hearth, Vesta. A vestal entered service at about 6 - 10 yrs. old and served for 30 years. After age 30, a vestal was free to marry -- though few did. They oversaw a number of rituals.

New man

a consul who did not have an ancestor who had been a consul

Fides

Keeping ones obligations and responsibilities

Virtus

Masculine virtues of strength and honor

Taking the Auspices

An augur would perform a ceremony and would read flight patterns of birds in the sky. And depending on the pattern the auspicies that year would either be good or bad.

Latifundia

huge farming estates bought up by newly wealthy Roman citizens

First Triumvirate

60 BCE, unofficial coalition between Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus

patria postestas / parens patriae

referring to the absolute control fathers had over their children and the children's absolute responsibility to obey.

Optimates

Established leaders, held power in the senate, opposed reformers

Populares

The Roman political faction supporting the common people; established during the late republic.

mos maiorum

"ways of our ancestors" customs or traditions of ancestors, Romans emphasized parental authority and obligations to the state

Cicero

Rome's greatest public speaker; he argued against dictators and called for a representative government with limited powers

Latin

The language of the Romans

Tiber River

The river where Rome was founded.

Brutus

one of the assassins of Julius Caesar; made a speech to explain why Caesar had to be killed

Rubicon

A river in northern Italy that Julius Caesar crossed with his army, in violation of the orders of the leaders in Rome, who feared his power. A civil war followed, in which Caesar emerged ruler of Rome. It is also an expression for taking a dangerous step.

Romance languages

Any of the languages derived from Latin including Italian, Spanish, French, and Romanian.

Alexander the Great

King of Macedonia who conquered Greece, Egypt, and Persia

King's Peace

peace treaty guaranteed by Artaxerxes between Athens and Sparta

Macedonia

An ancient kingdom north of Greece, whose ruler Philip II conquered Greece in 338 B.C.

Gymnasia

schools; training for athletic competition and ethics and became places where philosophers gathered and taught and medicine was practiced

Alexandria

City on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt founded by Alexander. It became the capital of the Hellenistic kingdom of Ptolemy. It contained the famous Library and the Museum and was a center for leading scientific and literary figures in the classical and postclassical eras.

Hellenistic Age

Historians' term for the era, usually dated 323-30 B.C.E., in which Greek culture spread across western Asia and northeastern Africa after the conquests of Alexander the Great. The period ended with the fall of the last major Hellenistic kingdom to Rome, but Greek cultural influence persisted until the spread of Islam in the seventh century C.E.

Polis

A city-state in ancient Greece.

Heirs to Alexander

Ptolemy, Antigonus and Seleucus

Koine

A common dialect of the Greek language that influenced the speech of all Greeks.

Arete

excellence

Skeptics

This group of Hellenistic philosophers questioned any assumptions and had a goal of achieving peace of mind.

Stoics

Hellenistic group of philosophers; emphasized inner moral independence cultivated by strict discipline of the body and personal bravery

Materialism

a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.

Epigrams

Greek pithy saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way

Greek Philanthropy

The Wealthy donated money for public works projects, food and medicines

Oratory

the art of public speaking

Plato

Socrates' most well known pupil. Founded an academy in Athens.

Aristotle (384-322 BC)

Student to Plato ;The Mind and the Body are together and knowledge is learned with experience

Socrates

Greek philosopher; socratic method--questioning; sentenced to death for corrupting Athens youth

Menander

Athenian playwright who is the best example of the New Comedy style

Diogenes

an ancient Greek philosopher and Cynic who rejected social conventions (circa 400-325 BC)

Pyrrho

The founder of Skepticism who believed that because the universe is always changing, all knowledge is uncertain

Companions of Alexander

An elite squad of cavalry called to fight alongside the king. Under the supervision of 12 year old Alexander

Phillip II of Macedonia

came to power in 359; built a powerful army and turned Macedonia into the chief power of the Greek World; wanted to unite all of Greece under Macedonia; father of Alexander the Great