Rome study guide

Location advantages of Rome

Built on seven hills near the Tiber River, a few miles inland from the coast, which offered defense, fresh water, and access to trade by land and sea.

Three parts of the Roman Republic's government

Consuls (executive leaders), the Senate (advisory and lawmaking council), and the assemblies (citizen voting bodies).

Problems that began causing trouble in Rome

Expansion brought great wealth to elites while many small farmers lost their land, creating social and political conflict between rich and poor.

First Triumvirate

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

Second Triumvirate

An alliance formed in 43 BCE by Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus that defeated Julius Caesar's assassins and later ended with Octavian's rise to sole power.

Augustus Caesar

The first Roman emperor, who kept Republican forms of government and ruled gradually and carefully, avoiding the title of dictator that led to resentment against Julius Caesar.

Pax Romana

A roughly 200-year period (27 BCE to 180 CE) of relative peace and stability across the Roman Empire.

Factors that made the Pax Romana possible

A strong army guarding the borders, a stable and efficient government with uniform laws, and extensive roads and trade networks.

Differences between rich and poor in Rome

Patricians and wealthy elites owned large estates and held political power, while plebeians and poor citizens often owned little land, had fewer rights, and struggled to find steady work.

How the rich kept the poor satisfied

Wealthy patrons and leaders gave the poor free or cheap grain and staged public entertainment, known as bread and circuses, to keep them content and prevent rebellion.

Gladiator fights

Public contests in arenas such as the Colosseum where trained fighters battled each other or wild animals, often to the death, for entertainment.

Augurs

Roman priests who interpreted omens, such as the flight of birds, to determine whether the gods approved of public decisions.

Contributions of Rome to modern society

Ideas and achievements such as republican government, written law codes, Latin roots of modern languages, roads, aqueducts, and arches still influence society today.