Ancient Rome and Early Christianity Vocabulary

Flashcards for Ancient Rome and Early Christianity

Republic

A government in which elected officials represent the people; established in Rome around 509 B.C.

Patrician

Wealthy landowners who held most of the power in the early Roman Republic.

Plebeian

Common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the population in the early Roman Republic.

Tribune

Representatives elected by the plebeians to protect their rights from unfair acts of patrician officials.

Consul

One of two officials who commanded the army and directed the government in the Roman Republic; had limited power and a one-year term.

Senate

The aristocratic branch of Rome's government, with 300 members chosen from the upper class; controlled foreign and financial policies and advised consuls.

Dictator

A leader with absolute power to make laws and command the army, appointed in times of crisis for a six-month term.

Legion

A large military unit of the Roman army, made up of about 5,000 heavily armed foot soldiers (infantry).

Punic Wars

A series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 to 146 B.C.

Hannibal

A brilliant Carthaginian general who masterminded the Second Punic War, seeking to avenge Carthage's earlier defeat.

Civil War

Conflict between groups within the same country; a period of civil war followed the deaths of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus.

Julius Caesar

A military leader who joined forces with Crassus and Pompey to dominate Rome as a triumvirate; later became dictator.

Triumvirate

A group of three rulers; Julius Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed a triumvirate.

Augustus

The title accepted by Octavian, meaning 'exalted one'; also kept the title imperator or supreme military commander.

Pax Romana

A period of peace and prosperity in the Roman Empire, lasting for 207 years (from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180).

Jesus

A Jew born in Bethlehem in Judea; his teachings emphasized God's personal relationship to each human and later became the basis for Christianity.

Apostle

One of the pupils or followers of Jesus; instrumental in spreading his teachings.

Paul

An apostle who had enormous influence on Christianity's development; spread and interpreted Jesus' teachings and that Christianity should welcome all converts.

Diaspora

The dispersal of the Jews from their homeland into exile after multiple rebellions against Rome.

Constantine

Roman emperor who ended the persecution of Christians in A.D. 313 with the Edict of Milan and declared Christianity to be one of the religions approved by the emperor; also reunited the empire.

Bishop

A priest who supervised several local churches.

Peter

An apostle who traveled to Rome from Jerusalem and became the first bishop there.

Pope

The father or head of the Christian Church; the position claimed by later bishops of Rome as heirs of Peter.

Inflation

A drastic drop in the value of money coupled with a rise in prices; one factor that weakened Rome's economy.

Mercenary

Foreign soldiers who fought for money; recruited by the Roman government to defend against increasing threats to the empire.

Diocletian

A strong-willed army leader who became the new emperor in A.D. 284; restored order to the empire and divided it into the East and West.

Constantinople

The new name for the city of Byzantium, the new capital of the Roman Empire established by Constantine; strategically located for trade and defense purposes.

Attila

The chieftain who united the Huns for the first time in A.D. 444; terrorized both halves of the Roman Empire with his army.

Greco-Roman Culture

The mixing of elements of Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman culture, producing a new culture also called classical civilization.

Pompeii

A Roman town whose ruins were preserved by a thick layer of ash after Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79.

Virgil

A Roman poet spent ten years writing the most famous work of Latin literature, the Aeneid, the epic of the legendary Aeneas.

Tacitus

A Roman historian who presented the facts accurately; concerned about the Romans' lack of morality.

Aqueduct

Designed by Roman engineers to bring water into cities and towns.