Roman Empire Review

Vocabulary flashcards for exam prep.

Princeps

Title meaning "first citizen," used by Augustus to present himself as a humble leader.

First Settlement

The political arrangement in 27 BCE where Augustus returned power to the Senate but retained control of key provinces and legions.

Augustus

Honorific title granted to Octavian in 27 BCE, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire.

Auctoritas

Personal prestige and influence derived from experience, wisdom, and social standing.

Second Settlement

The 23 BCE reform where Augustus gained tribunician power and imperium maius, solidifying his authority.

Imperium proconsulare maius

Superior command authority over all provincial governors and military forces.

Tribunicia potestas

Power of the tribune, allowing Augustus to propose laws and veto actions while being sacrosanct.

Principate

The first phase of the Roman Empire, where emperors maintained the illusion of republican rule.

Pax

Roman concept of peace, especially that maintained through Roman dominance and order.

Prima Porta Augustus

Statue of Augustus found at Prima Porta, symbolizing his military and divine authority.

Standard

A military emblem carried by Roman legions, symbolizing unit identity and Roman power.

Livia

Wife of Augustus and influential matron in Roman politics and imperial cult.

Orthopraxy

Emphasis on correct religious practice rather than belief in Roman religion.

Pax Deorum

“Peace of the gods”; the harmony between Rome and its gods ensured through proper rituals.

Ludi Saeculares

Secular Games held in 17 BCE under Augustus to mark a new era of Roman peace and prosperity.

Imperial Cult

Worship of the emperor and his family as divine or semi-divine figures.

Numen

Divine presence or will, often attributed to emperors or places.

Genius

Protective spirit of a person or place, often worshiped in households or for emperors.

Julia

Daughter of Augustus, whose marriages and scandals influenced succession politics.

Marcus Claudius Marcellus

Nephew and early heir of Augustus who died young.

Gaius Julius Caesar

Adopted son and heir of Augustus, groomed for leadership before dying prematurely.

Lucius Julius Caesar

Another adopted son of Augustus, also died before he could succeed.

Julio-Claudians

The first imperial dynasty of Rome, descending from Augustus and Livia’s family.

Viritane Grant

Allocation of land to individuals (viritim) rather than to groups or communities.

Bloc Grant

Land grant given to a group or community, rather than individuals.

Junian Latin

A legal status for freedmen with limited rights, below Roman citizenship.

Auxiliaries

Non-citizen troops who supported the Roman legions and could earn citizenship.

Military Diploma

Document granting Roman citizenship to auxiliaries after service.

Peculium

Property or funds legally controlled by a slave or son under a paterfamilias.

Patronage

System of mutual obligations between patrons (elite) and clients (lower-status individuals).

Tiberius

Second Roman emperor, stepson of Augustus, known for his reclusive rule.

Gaius / Caligula

Third emperor, known for erratic behavior and assassination in 41 CE.

Claudius

Fourth emperor, expanded the empire and increased bureaucracy.

Nero

Fifth emperor, infamous for extravagance, persecution of Christians, and suicide in 68 CE.

Year of the Four Emperors

69 CE, a chaotic year with multiple claimants to the throne: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian.

Vindex

Rebel governor of Gaul who opposed Nero and helped trigger the civil war of 68–69 CE.

Galba

First emperor of 69 CE, declared by the Senate but soon overthrown.

Verginius Rufus

Roman general who refused the imperial title after defeating Vindex.

Praetorian Guard

Elite soldiers tasked with protecting the emperor; influential in imperial politics.

Otho

Briefly ruled as emperor in 69 CE after Galba, but lost to Vitellius.

Vitellius

Claimed the throne in 69 CE, defeated by Vespasian’s forces.

Vespasian

Founder of the Flavian dynasty, restored stability after the civil wars.

Titus

Son of Vespasian, emperor known for completing the Colosseum and responding to disasters.

Domitian

Younger son of Vespasian, ruled autocratically and was assassinated in 96 CE.

Lex de imperio Vespasiani

Law officially granting Vespasian imperial powers and legitimizing his rule.

Titulature

The formal list of titles and honors held by a Roman emperor.

Municipium

A self-governing town in the Roman Empire with varying degrees of citizenship.

Municipal Charter

Legal document outlining the rights and organization of a municipium.

Lex Malacitana

Municipal law code granted to the Spanish town of Malaca under Roman rule.

Malaca

Roman town in Hispania (modern Málaga), granted a charter under the Flavians.

Lex Irnitana

Well-preserved charter of Roman municipal law from the town of Irni.

Irni

Roman town in southern Spain, source of the Lex Irnitana.

Latin Right

A set of legal privileges short of full citizenship, granted to some communities in the empire.

Dominus

Title meaning “lord” or “master,” increasingly used by emperors in the later Empire.

Pliny the Younger

Roman senator and writer, known for letters describing Roman life and politics.

Tacitus

Roman historian known for critical works on the early emperors and the principate.

Damnatio memoriae

Official erasure of a person's memory from public records and monuments.

Nerva

Emperor who began the adoptive succession system, ruling from 96–98 CE.

Trajan

Emperor from 98–117 CE, known for military conquests and public works.

Italica

Spanish town, birthplace of emperors Trajan and Hadrian.

Alimentary Scheme

Welfare program initiated by Trajan to support poor children using state funds.

Dacian Wars

Trajan’s campaigns against Dacia, resulting in its annexation.

Trajan’s Column

Monument celebrating Trajan’s victory in the Dacian Wars, with sculpted reliefs.

Jerusalem Temple

Central Jewish temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.

Diaspora

Dispersion of the Jewish people from their homeland after the temple's destruction.

Client King

A local ruler supported by and loyal to Rome, governing semi-autonomously.

Euergetism

Practice of wealthy elites donating to cities for public benefit and prestige.

Procurator

Financial and administrative official in Roman provinces.

Gessius Florus

Roman procurator whose misrule contributed to the Jewish Revolt.

Aelia Capitolina

Roman colony built on the ruins of Jerusalem by Hadrian.

Fiscus Iudaicus

Tax imposed on Jews after the temple's destruction, paid to the Roman treasury.

Syria Palestina

Roman name for the province formed after suppressing the Bar Kokhba revolt.

Tannaim

Jewish sages whose teachings form the basis of the Mishnah.

Mishnah

Written collection of Jewish oral laws compiled around 200 CE.

Patriarch

Leader of the Jewish community in Roman Palestine, recognized by the emperors.

Constitutio Antoniniana

Edict of 212 CE by Caracalla granting Roman citizenship to all free men in the empire.

Helvius Pertinax

Briefly emperor in 193 CE after Commodus; assassinated by the Praetorian Guard.

Didius Julianus

Bought the throne in 193 CE after Pertinax; quickly overthrown.

Septimius Severus

Founded the Severan dynasty, reformed the military and administration.

Julia Domna

Wife of Septimius Severus, influential in politics and philosophy.

Antonine Constitution (Constitutio Antoniniana)

Edict of 212 CE by Caracalla granting Roman citizenship to all free men in the empire.

Aurelii (the Aurelians)

New citizens created by Caracalla’s edict, often adopting his family name.

Dediticii

Conquered peoples with limited rights, excluded from citizenship grants.

Honestiores

Upper class citizens with legal privileges.

Humiliores

Lower class citizens with fewer legal protections and harsher punishments.

Longue durée

Historical perspective emphasizing long-term structures over short-term events.