Rome Quiz 2 (Weeks 3 and 4)

Roman Social Class Order

Patricians, Plebians, Non-citizens, Freed-persons, Slaves

Plebians

poorest, no role in the senate, not allowed to marry patricians (until early republic)

Senatorial class

MOST IMPORTANT: consulship, ran the state

Equites/Equestrian class

Wealthy Roman citizens below senators who made their money through business and trade rather than politics; could afford a horse

Non-citizens

not voting, participating in government, or marrying romans

Did a middle class exist?

NO!!!!

Punishment/penalties

based on ranking because wealthy believed they were better and did more for the country

Corporal punishment

physical punishment (non-citizens, freed persons, and slaves)

Punishment for wealthy?

could be paid off or they went into exile, settled in a new area

Damnatio ad bestias

thrown to the beasts

Roman patronage system

alliance between a patron and lower class; patrons provided legal representation, helped with business, and arranged jobs, while clients offered political votes, public support, and reputation management

Salutatio

"morning salute"; clients would arrive and give a patron and morning salute, showing a patron's status and the number of alliances they had

The Phoenicians were known for

shipbuilding, glassware/iron crafting, trade, and the invention of the phonetic alphabet (one of early colonies = carthage)

Carthage (Phoenician) 9th c. BCE

ALLIANCES to expand, independent from motherland, long-distance marine commerce, didn't colonize (just set up trading posts)

Battle of Himera (480 BCE)

Marked Carthage's transition to territorial struggles

Socio-Political Transformation (5th-4th Century) of Carthage

Constitutional changes toward power-sharing (oligarchy), inland and coastal settlements expand

Carthage's Key Dynamics

• Confronted w/ Greeks and Etruscans over trade routes

• Driven by a need to grow-react to other Mediterranean powers or risk absorption

• Constant strategic realignment

Motya (Phoenician) 9th c. BCE

MAJOR TRADING HUB FOR CARTHAGE b/c it connected North African and Mediterranean trade routes, represented Carthaginian expansion model, sophisticated and complex society

Relationship of Phoenician settlements?

All detached from motherland

Greek

set up colonies the same time as the Phoenician colonies in Italy and Sicily

Cumae (Greek) 8th c. BCE

FERTILE territory, natural harbor for trade, spread Greek culture in southern Italian peninsula

Aristodemus (Cumae) 550-490 c. BCE

tyrant who defeated Etruscan armies

Syracuse (Greek) 8th c. BCE

largest central Mediterranean city, HARBOR and fertile land, territorial conquest by Dionysius I

Dionysius I (Greek) 432-367 c. BCE

TYRANT, took over entire cities, first to standardize currency in places he took over, "archon of Sicily'/"Ruler", TERRITORIAL CONTROL

How did Syracuse change from a city-state to a territorial power?

large standing army and navy, conquering much of Sicily, centralizing authority under strong rulers, fortifying cities, and using military force rather than diplomacy to control trade and rivals

Etruscans (North of Rome)

Similar to Phoenicians b/c they valued alliances > conquest

Tarquinia (Etruscan)

wealth from (agriculture, animal husbandry, mining), limited written evidence, complex agricultural society

Agriculture in Tarquinia?

diffusion of small farms = better security and more expansion; 'friendlies' implemented in farms to expand

How was Tarquinia similar to Rome?

Regional elite connections, maintained social order in favor of artistocrats

The Etruscan League (late 7th and 6th c. BCE)

religious and political alliance of twelve major Etruscan city-states; concerned with economic and social matters > geo-politics

What changed in Early Republic Rome (6th c. BCE) about the Tiber?

Tiber dried up and ceased to exist; Romans adapted and were organized, showing that the Tiber wasn't the only reason for their success (they were unique for their adaptability, not their advantage)

Lucious Junius Brutus

the first Roman consul (start of the republic)

Latin League

a confederation of Latin cities neighboring Rome; each member held equal rights in the coalition. Rome conquered them and broke up the Latin League (multiple battles in first half of the 5th c. BCE)

Lucius Tarquinius Superbus

led one of the battles, wanted to take back Rome as he was the final king during Rome's monarchy period --> ended up dying in the Battle of Lake Regillus (496)

What is Tarquin a symbol of?

End of Roman monarchy and tyranny --> move toward democracy

Foedus Cassianum

a treaty which formed an alliance between the Roman Republic and the Latin League in 493 BC after the Battle of Lake Regillus (gave Rome more power than anyone in the league)

Conflict of the Orders (494-287 BCE)

was a political struggle between the Plebeians (commoners) and Patricians (aristocrats) of the ancient Roman Republic, in which the Plebeians sought political equality with the Patricians

What are some primary sources that show the Conflict of Orders?

Livy, Dionysius, TWELVE TABLES

First Secession of the Plebs (494 BCE)

Plebeians withdrew to Sacred Mount; resulted in creation of Tribune of the Plebs

Tribune of the Plebs

an official elected by the plebeians to protect their interests; "voice of the plebs"

Twelve Tables (450 BCE)

first form of WRITTEN standardized Roman law, class distinction, and prohibited plebian-patrician marriage initially

Tarpeian Rock

The place of execution for Rome's most notorious traitors (added in Twelve Tables)

Lex Canuleia (445 BCE)

allowed patrician-plebein intermarriage, changed nature of patrician status from birth to legal status

Roman-Etruscan relations in mid-5th c. BCE?

Not much interaction; Etruscans are above the Tiber, northwest of Italy

Veii

Etruscan city that clashed with Rome over the right to control the lower Tiber Valley as an access to the sea

Battle of Cremera (477 BCE)

largest start to Etruscan-Roman rivalry; Fabian clan funded Rome against the Etruscans over a disagreement they had with Veii, resulting in the clan's total slaughter

Veii and Rome's early relations

parallel urbanization, mutual raiding, struggles over fidenae territory (east bank of the Tiber)

Marcus Furius Camillus (396 c. BCE)

Roman consul turned dictator who took command of the Roman army against Veii after various defeats

The Battle of Veii (396 c. BCE)

led by Marcus; resulted in Veii's total destruction and enslavement of its people

Why was conquering Veii different for Rome?

first time completely taking over (SHIFT: city-states -> territorial empires); important power house and fertile area, gained important Tiber defensive boundary

Rome and Caere

early alliance with Rome's expansion efforts, treaties from back in late 6th c., supported Rome during Gallic invasion

Battle of Allia (Gallic Sack of Rome) (390 BCE)

first MAJOR loss for Rome by a Gallic tribe that 'sacked' Rome; Servian walls built

Rome and Caere (regarding Veii)

Caere may have supported Veii's destruction b/c deep elite ties btwn them and Rome -> reveals internal conflict w/ Etruscans

What happened to Caere?

eventually absorbed into Rome (INTEGRATION> taking over; Rome allowed citizenship and entry into Roman senate)

Arezzo and Rome

Arezzo rebelled in 4th c. over treaty --> Rome took immediate action

Significance of Rome's action against Arezzo rebellion?

Rome was afraid that the elite socio-economic order it had come to preside over in central Italy might be disrupted

The Samnites (South of Rome/Central Italy)

hill people, Oscan language, no major urban centers, limited trade (focused on prestige goods), mobile pastoralism (travelled and moved around), scattered settlements, complex and sophisticated organization, Rome's LARGEST THREAT (capacity to mobilize large armies)

What started Rome and the Samnites rivalry?

Treaty w/ Capua -> alliance btwn Rome and Capua created right over the Samnites' territory, pissing them off

Samnites vs. Rome wars (3)

(1): Capua Treaty War (mid-4th c. BCE)

(2): Rome intervenes in political conflicts in Campania (late 4th c. BCE)

(3): Another war in Campania linked w/ Rome's growing influence in the region, a region which the Samnites had dominated (early 3rd c.)

Why did Rome and the Samnites never stop fighting?

Rome: wanted to unify and expand, complete elimination of raids

Samnites: no interest in unification, urban centers, long-distance relationships, threatened their pastoral economy, few benefits in joining Rome

(Samnites would ally with any Roman rival showing how much they disliked them)

Paterfamilias

the head of the family or household in Roman law -always male- and the only member to have full legal rights. This person had absolute power over his family, which extended to life and death.

Patria Potestas

power (of life and death in early times) of paterfamilias over family (finances, marriages, divorces, disowning, killing, selling, etc)

Goal behind Rome's family system?

Enforce the idea that patricians = "fathers of the country" and plebians = "children of the country"

Why are mothers not mentioned in ancient Roman writing?

was not the primary caretaker; the nurses/enslaved people took care of the children

Divorce?

children go to father

Marriage?

influenced by patria potestas (family name, dowry, arranged, marriages, scio-political influence); almost all marriages were arranged because both fathers need to approve of the marriage; marriages were based off power, not love

Cum Manu vs Sine Manu

Marriage w/ or w/o control of paterfamilias

When did marriage happen?

Women: earliest by 12, commonly married early and to much older men

Men: earliest by 14, but commonly married later and to younger women

Graeco-Persian Wars

Greek city-states fight w/ Persians

Classical Greece (479-323 BCE)

peaceful until Peloponnesian War, Athens flourishing (arts, gov/politics, technology, language, etc)

Peloponnesian War (431-404)

Athens vs. Sparta -> Sparta wins, Athens taken down

What did the Peloponnesian war result in?

Fall of Athens and WEAKING OF ALL PARTIES *leads to the rise of Macedon

Phillip II of Macedon (359-336 BCE)

King of Macedon, controlled most of mainland Greece and Thracian territory at his death (336 BCE)

Why was Phillip II of Macedon so successful?

The Macedonian Phalanx (large military unit, 16 rows deep)

Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE)

using Philip's military tactics, launched one of the most successful military conquests in history (Persia, Near East and Egypt, Hyphasis, India); thought of himself as a god and compared himself to hercules; coins created of him, expanding the use of coins in the economy

The Diadochi

the successors to Alexander the Great (Ptolemy I Soter, Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus I Nicator, Antingonus the One-Eyed (Egypt was the most fought over territory between the successors at the time)

Why are Alexander and the Diadochi relevant to Roman history?

Rome could conquer and spread Greek's influence to their own culture (Hellenistic World), the wars against the successors' empires allowed Rome to evolve from an Italian power to a Mediterranean empire

What did the Italian Peninsula look like after the Samnite Wars?

Most of central and southern Italy taken by Rome

Epirus

one of Diadochi's territories; Rome is interested in Southern Italy which consists of this and other Greek territories

When does Rome become interested in Southern Italy (which was dominated by Greek city-states) ?

End of the Third Samnite War (290 BCE) because it was the dominant power on the Italian peninsula

Tarentum (8th c. BCE)

founded by Spartan colonists, natural harbor (quick urbanization), 3rd c. BCE become a commercial powerhouse in Greece

Rome and Tarentum

Roman naval ships entered the harbor of Tarentum, breaking a Roman-Tarentum treaty ; Roman ships struck and sunk

What happened after Tarentum sunk Rome's ships?

Rome tried to get back their resources and negotiate; heavily mocked and ridiculed

Pyrrhus of Epirus (319-272 BCE)

claimed the throne of Epirus (Greece), called by Tarentum to fight against Rome; fought with war elephants (very unique at the time)

Pyrrhic War (280-275 BCE)

(Rome vs. Epirus (Greece)) Pyrrhus crossed the Ionian Sea and entered southern Italy but lost much of his fleet/ships/elephants to a storm

The Battle of Heraclea (280 BCE)

(Rome vs. Epirus (Greek)) FIRST MAJOR LOSS IN DECADES! War elephants main reason why Rome lost; however, Pyrrhus' forces also suffered great casualties

Battle of Asculum (279 BCE)

(Rome vs. Epirus) Inconclusive who really won due to poor documentation but both sides suffered huge losses and war continued

"Pyrrhic Victory"

A victory that is offset by staggering losses or that comes at a huge price

How does Carthage get involved in the Rome vs. Epirus conflict?

an ally of Rome, driven by the mutual desire to prevent King Pyrrhus of Epirus from gaining control over Southern Italy and Sicily; leads to a second treaty between Rome and Carthage to protect one another… evidence shows that they didn't really help each other though

Battle of Beneventum (275 BCE)

Last battle of the Rome vs. Epirus conflict; Rome arrived in two forces, so Pyrrhus split up his forces resulting in disorder and a big loss to Rome

Pyrrhus' return to Italy (276)

After the Battle of Beneventum, Pyrrhus returns to Italy and tries to invade Sparta and fails; later (supposedly) killed in the streets

Italian Peninsula after the Pyrrhic War?

Rome takes over all of Italian Peninsula (Central Italy to the heel of the foot)

Rome's lesson after the Pyrrhic War?

FIRST TIME OUT OF ITALY --> gained experience and confidence for future territorial conquests; first time fighting an empire > just city-states