Rome 6th grade

Legion

A large group of Roman soldiers who fought together as a military unit.

Military

Related to an army or soldiers.

Punic Wars

Three wars fought between Rome and Carthage over control of the western Mediterranean.

Carthage

A powerful ancient city in North Africa that fought Rome in the Punic Wars.

Dominant

Having the most power or control.

Conquest

Taking control of a place by defeating it in war.

Territory

An area of land controlled by a country or government.

Enslaved Laborers

People forced to work without freedom or pay.

Julius Caesar

A powerful Roman general who conquered Gaul and gained control of Rome.

Gaul

An ancient region that included much of what is now France.

Rubicon River

A river Caesar crossed with his army in 49 BCE, starting a civil war.

Civil War

A war fought between groups within the same country.

Dictator

A ruler who has complete or nearly complete power.

Senate

A group of Roman leaders who helped make laws and govern Rome.

Assassinate

To murder an important person, usually for political reasons.

Republic

A form of government in which citizens elect representatives to make decisions.

Octavian

Julius Caesar's adopted heir who defeated his rivals and became Rome's first emperor.

Augustus

The title given to Octavian when he became Rome's first emperor in 27 BCE.

Heir

A person expected to receive someone's power, position, or property.

Empire

A large territory ruled by one central government or leader.

Emperor

The ruler of an empire.

Central Authority

A main government or leader that has power over a large area.

Administration

The way a government is organized and managed.

Pax Romana

A long period of relative peace and prosperity throughout the Roman Empire.

Prosperity

A time of wealth, success, and growth.

Stability

A condition of being steady, peaceful, and not changing suddenly.

Economic Growth

An increase in money, trade, and goods in a society.

Infrastructure

Important structures that help a society function, such as roads and bridges.

Trade

Buying, selling, or exchanging goods.

Trade Network

A system of connected routes used to exchange goods between places.

Communication

Sharing information with other people.

Transportation

The movement of people and goods from one place to another.

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of ideas, customs, languages, and beliefs from one culture to another.

Decline

A gradual weakening or loss of power.

Peak

The highest or strongest point.

Trajan

A Roman emperor who ruled when the Roman Empire reached its greatest size around 117 AD.

Corruption

Dishonest behavior by people in power, often for personal gain.

Infighting

Conflict or fighting between groups within the same organization or country.

Barbarian

A word Romans used to describe people from outside the Roman Empire.

Visigoths

A Germanic group that invaded and sacked Rome in 410 AD.

Huns

A group of warriors who invaded parts of the Roman Empire.

Franks

A Germanic group that settled in parts of Western Europe.

Vandals

A Germanic group that invaded Roman territories and sacked Rome in 455 AD.

Sack

To attack and rob a city, often destroying buildings and stealing valuables.

Diocletian

A Roman emperor who divided the Roman Empire into eastern and western sections.

Eastern Roman Empire

The eastern half of the Roman Empire, which continued after the fall of the West.

Western Roman Empire

The western half of the Roman Empire, which fell in 476 AD.

Constantinople

The capital city of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Byzantine Empire

The name given to the Eastern Roman Empire after the western half fell.

Odoacer

A Germanic leader who took control of Rome in 476 AD and removed the last Western Roman emperor.

Romulus Augustulus

The last emperor of the Western Roman Empire.

Dark Ages

A name traditionally given to the period in Europe after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Barbarianism

A term used to describe what Romans believed was uncivilized behavior or a lack of Roman culture.