Ancient Rome Final Exam Study Guide

CONCEPTS AND THINGS:

Lex de Imperio Vespasiani (“Law of the Power of Vespasian”)

This is the law that formally granted Vespasian his imperial powers. It codified the powers and privileges of the emperor, essentially legitimizing Vespasian's rule after the tumultuous year of the four emperors. It's significant because it provides insight into the legal basis of imperial authority and the powers the emperor possessed.

Damnatio Memoriae (“condemnation of memory”)

This was a form of dishonor that the Roman Senate could impose on disgraced former emperors and other prominent individuals after their death. It involved erasing the person from public memory, including removing their statues, defacing inscriptions with their name, and even rewriting historical accounts. This practice highlights the importance the Romans placed on public image and the power of the state to control historical narratives. Examples inlcude emperors like Geta, Domitian, and Commodus, whose legacies suffered damnatio memoriae due to their unpopularity or perceived tyranny.

Stoic conceptions:

• Happiness: In Stoicism, happiness (or eudaimonia) is achieved through virtue and living in accordance with nature and reason. It's not about seeking pleasure but about inner peace and fulfillment.

• Impression: Stoics describe impression as the way the mind receives information from the outside world. Our judgments about these impressions, rather than the impressions themselves, are what disturb our peace.

• Indifferents: These are things that are neither good nor bad in themselves, such as wealth, health, or reputation. Stoics believe that we should not be overly attached to or fearful of losing indifferents, as they are not essential to happiness.

• Reason: Reason is the guiding principle of Stoicism. It is the faculty that allows us to understand the world and our place in it and to make virtuous choices.

• Virtue: For Stoics, virtue is the only true good and the foundation of happiness. The four cardinal virtues are wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance.

Roman Forum

The Roman Forum was the central public space in ancient Rome, serving as a marketplace, meeting place, and center for political and religious activities. It contained important temples, basilicas, and government buildings. Its significance lies in its role as the heart of Roman civic life and a symbol of Roman power.

Circus Maximus

The Circus Maximus was a large ancient Roman stadium primarily used for chariot races. It could accommodate a vast number of spectators. It was a center for entertainment and a place where the Roman people could gather. Its scale and popularity underscore the Roman passion for spectacle and competition.

Colosseum

The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheater, was a large amphitheater in Rome used for gladiatorial contests, public spectacles, and mock sea battles. It is an iconic symbol of Roman engineering and entertainment and a testament to the empire's wealth and power.

Column

Columns were used extensively in Roman architecture for both structural support and decorative purposes. Different orders of columns (e.g., Doric, Ionic, Corinthian) were employed, each with its distinct style and ornamentation. Columns are a key element of Roman architectural grandeur.

Concrete

Concrete was a revolutionary building material developed by the Romans. It was strong, durable, and relatively inexpensive to produce, allowing the Romans to construct large-scale structures like aqueducts, roads, and buildings. Its use was essential to Roman engineering achievements.

Marble

Marble was a prized building material used in Roman architecture and sculpture. It was imported from various regions of the empire and used to create magnificent buildings, statues, and decorative elements. Its use signified wealth, power, and refined taste.

Rostra

The Rostra was a raised platform in the Roman Forum from which orators delivered speeches. It was adorned with the prows (rostra) of captured ships. It was a crucial space for public address and political discourse.

Porticus

A porticus is a covered walkway or colonnade, often found in public spaces and around temples. They provided shelter from the sun and rain and served as gathering places. They were a common feature of Roman urban design.

Basilica

A basilica in Roman architecture was a large, multi-purpose building used for legal proceedings, business transactions, and public gatherings. Early Christian churches were often based on the basilica plan. They were important civic structures and precursors to Christian architecture.

Satire

Satire is a literary genre that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices. Roman satire often targeted the excesses and corruption of Roman society and politics.

Epigram

An epigram is a short, witty, and often satirical poem or saying. Roman poets like Martial were masters of the epigram, using them to comment on daily life and social foibles.

Roman Verse Satire

This is a specific type of satire written in verse form, popularized by Roman authors like Juvenal and Persius. It used poetic language to deliver biting social commentary.

Menippean Satire

Menippean satire is a form of satire that mixes prose and verse, often incorporating philosophical and fantastical elements. It is less focused on attacking specific individuals and more on ridiculing intellectual attitudes and conventions.

Apocolocyntosis

The Apocolocyntosis is a satirical work attributed to Seneca the Younger that mocks the deification of the Emperor Claudius. The title roughly translates to "The Pumpkinification of Claudius," suggesting Claudius was turned into a pumpkin rather than ascending to godhood. It is a notable example of Menippean satire and provides insight into the political climate of the time.

Biography as Genre

Biography became a popular literary genre in Rome, with authors like Suetonius writing about the lives of emperors and other notable figures. These biographies offer insights into the personalities, behaviors, and historical contexts of their subjects.

History as Genre

History writing was a prominent genre in Roman literature, with authors like Livy and Tacitus chronicling the rise and fall of Rome and its emperors. These historical accounts were important for shaping Roman identity and understanding the past.

Religion

Roman religion was polytheistic, incorporating a wide range of gods and goddesses. Religious rituals and festivals were central to Roman life, and the emperor played a key role in maintaining religious traditions.

Religio (or: Roman conception of religion)

Religio in Rome was more about proper ritual and duty to the gods than personal belief or faith. It emphasized the correct performance of religious ceremonies to maintain the pax deorum (peace of the gods) and ensure the well-being of the state.

Persecution

The persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire was intermittent and varied in intensity. Early Christians were sometimes targeted due to their refusal to worship Roman gods and their perceived threat to social order. The most severe persecutions occurred under emperors like Nero and Diocletian.

Tetrarchy

The Tetrarchy was a system of government established by Diocletian in 293 CE, dividing the Roman Empire into four regions, each ruled by an emperor (Augustus) and a subordinate Caesar. It aimed to improve governance and address the challenges of a vast empire. It ultimately failed to prevent civil war and was replaced by Constantine's rule.

PERSONS, PEOPLES, AND PLACES:

Equites (or: equestrians, knights)

The equites were a social class in ancient Rome, ranking below the senators. They were originally cavalry soldiers but evolved into a wealthy merchant and business class. They often held important administrative and financial positions in the empire.

Praetorian Guard

The Praetorian Guard was an elite unit of the Roman army stationed in Rome, serving as the emperor's personal bodyguard. They wielded considerable political influence and sometimes played a role in the rise and fall of emperors.

Tiberius

Tiberius was the second Roman emperor, ruling from 14 to 37 CE. He was a capable administrator but was also known for his reclusive nature and unpopularity with the Senate.

Caligula

Caligula was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 to 41 CE. His reign was marked by extravagance, erratic behavior, and alleged insanity. He was assassinated by members of the Praetorian Guard.

Claudius

Claudius was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from 41 to 54 CE. He was initially underestimated due to his physical disabilities but proved to be an able and intelligent ruler. He expanded the empire and implemented administrative reforms.

Nero

Nero was the fifth Roman emperor, ruling from 54 to 68 CE. His reign was known for its artistic pursuits, extravagance, and alleged persecution of Christians. He was blamed for the Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE.

Vespasian

Vespasian was the Roman emperor who ruled from 69 to 79 CE, following the year of the four emperors. He restored stability to the empire and founded the Flavian dynasty. He began the construction of the Colosseum.

Titus

Titus was the Roman emperor who ruled from 79 to 81 CE. He was known for his generosity and his handling of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum. He completed the Colosseum.

Trajan

Trajan was the Roman emperor who ruled from 98 to 117 CE. He was a successful military commander and expanded the empire to its greatest territorial extent. He was known for his building projects and social welfare programs.

Zeno of Citium

Zeno of Citium was the founder of Stoicism, a Hellenistic philosophy that emphasized virtue, reason, and living in accordance with nature.

Catullus

Catullus was a Roman poet known for his lyric poetry, which often expressed intense personal emotions and experiences.

Martial

Martial was a Roman poet known for his epigrams, which satirized Roman society and daily life.

Juvenal

Juvenal was a Roman poet known for his satirical poems, which criticized the corruption and decadence of Roman society.

Suetonius

Suetonius was a Roman biographer known for his "Lives of the Caesars," which provided accounts of the lives and personalities of the first twelve Roman emperors.

Domitian

Domitian was the Roman emperor who ruled from 81 to 96 CE. He was known for his autocratic style of rule and his persecution of Christians. He was assassinated, and his memory was condemned by the Senate.

Constantine

Constantine was the Roman emperor who ruled from 306 to 337 CE. He is best known for legalizing Christianity and establishing Constantinople as the new capital of the Roman Empire.

Hadrian

Hadrian was the Roman emperor who ruled from 117 to 138 CE. He was known for his consolidation of the empire's borders, his building projects (including Hadrian's Wall in Britain), and his cultural interests.

Pliny

Pliny can refer to either Pliny the Elder or Pliny the Younger. Pliny the Elder was a Roman author and naturalist known for his encyclopedic work, "Natural History." Pliny the Younger was a Roman lawyer, writer, and administrator known for his letters, which provide valuable insights into Roman life and society.

Diocletian

Diocletian was the Roman emperor who ruled from 284 to 305 CE. He implemented the Tetrarchy, dividing the empire into four regions, and introduced administrative and economic reforms. He also oversaw one of the most severe persecutions of Christians.

Constantinople

Constantinople (now Istanbul) was founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in 324 AD on the site of the ancient city of Byzantium. It served as the capital of the Roman Empire, and later of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire), for over a thousand years. Its strategic location between Europe and Asia made it a major center of trade, culture, and political power.

Visigoths

The Visigoths were a Germanic people who sacked Rome in 410 CE and eventually established a kingdom in southwestern Gaul (modern-day France) and the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal).

Vandals

The Vandals were a Germanic people who sacked Rome in 455 CE and established a kingdom in North Africa. Their sack of Rome was particularly destructive, giving rise to the term "vandalism."

Honorius

Honorius was the Western Roman Emperor who ruled from 395 to 423 CE. His reign was marked by political instability and military threats, including the Visigoth sack of Rome in 410 CE.

EVENTS AND TIME PERIODS:

Ludi

Ludi were public games and festivals in ancient Rome, often held in honor of the gods. They included chariot races, gladiatorial combats, theatrical performances, and other forms of entertainment. They were an important part of Roman religious and social life.

Munera

Munera were gladiatorial games and other spectacles that were originally private events organized by wealthy individuals to honor the dead. They later became public events sponsored by the state or by emperors to entertain the populace.

Great Fire of 64 CE

The Great Fire of Rome occurred in 64 CE during the reign of Emperor Nero. A large portion of the city was destroyed, and Nero was rumored to have started the fire himself. He blamed the Christians for the fire and used it as a pretext to persecute them.

Edict of Thessalonica

The Edict of Thessalonica was issued in 380 CE by Emperor Theodosius I, declaring Nicene Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire. This marked a turning point in the history of Christianity and the Roman Empire.

Third Jewish-Roman War

The Third Jewish-Roman War, also known as the Bar Kokhba Revolt, took place from 132 to 136 CE. It was a major Jewish rebellion against Roman rule in Judea, led by Simon Bar Kokhba. The Romans suppressed the revolt, causing widespread destruction and death, and further restricting Jewish autonomy.