UNIT 2 ROME

JOHN WALSH BE GENTLE WITH ME

Urbs Aeterna

“eternal city” - Coined by Tibullus (1st C)

The Aenid (Virgil)

Major source for archiac rome, written 21-19BC

ex oriente lux

"from the East, the light; from the West, the law"

ehumerism

taking myth and making it history

Aeneas

son of Aphrodite / Venus, escaped Troy to found Lavinium

Augury

roman practice that allows the gods to tell humans their wishes through the behaviour and flight pattern of birds

April 21, 753 BC

Rome’s founding, written by Plutarch and Varro

Romulus

the legendary founder and first king of Rome, who established the Senate and the original Roman legions.

Tarquinius Superbus

last of the legendary 7 kings, killed the king before him, monarchy ends because he let his son rape a virgin

Lucius Junius Brutus (509 BC)

ends monarchy in Rome, replaced with Res Republica. Killed his sons (Titus & Tiberius) to uphold it.

Consules

replace kingship, serve for one year and then must stay out of politics for 10 years

Struggle of the orders

political struggle between the plebeians (commoners) and patricians (aristocrats) of the ancient (500-287BC)

Liciniae Sextius Sextinus Lateranus

first plebian consul, makes law to allow plebs to hold office (366BC)

cursus honorum

“path of honour” towards becoming consul, must include military service

Dictator

one guy appointed in times of crisis to get rome out of trouble

Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus

elected as dictator (458BC) when threatened by the Aequi, returned dictatorship early once his task was complete

Samnite Wars

(343-290 BC) romans took their battlefield tech basically

Pyrrhic Wars (280-275BC)

battle with greece for tarentum (calabria), roman legion vs greek phalanx. Tarentum’s request for help is answered by Pyrrhus of Epirus.

magister equitum

"Master of the Horse" appointed second-in-command to dictator

Horatius Cocles

Defends Rome from Etruscans, sacrificing himself by having the army cut the bridge from behind him.

Mucius Scaevola

16yo who volunteers to sneak into Etruscan camp to kill King Porsenna, burns his hand when he is caught. Name means “lefty” from that.

Messenian Wars (743-668 BC)

The reason why spartan men return to greece to have as many children as possible, and after they win the war, many people are sent to Tarentum.

Battle of Drepana (249 BC)

First punic wars, Clodius ignored sacred chickens that told him NOT to go to war. Battle went so bad he killed himself.

Battle of Cannae (216BC)

2nd Punic War. Hannibal envelops entire roman camp, consul who didn’t want to fight dies.

Hannibal Barca

Carthaginian general, known for bringing elephants across the alps.