Ancient Rome Lecture Vocabulary

Geography and Early Foundations of Rome

  • The Tiber River: This is the primary river that runs directly through the city of Rome.
  • The Seven Hills: The city of Rome was famously constructed upon seven distinct hills.
  • The Apennine Mountain Range: This is the major mountain range that runs down the length of the Italian Peninsula.
  • Foundational Legend: The legendary founders of the city of Rome were the brothers Romulus and Remus.

External Influences on Roman Development

  • The Etruscans:     * Location: They lived to the North of Rome.     * Contributions: They were known for having expert engineering skills, which influenced Roman building and infrastructure.
  • The Greeks:     * Location: They lived to the South of Rome.     * Contributions: They were responsible for teaching the Romans much of their culture.

Social Structure and Class Divisions

  • The Patricians:     * This group represented the wealthy landowner class.     * They constituted approximately 5%5\% of the Roman population.
  • The Plebeians:     * This group represented the poorer working class.     * They constituted the vast majority of the population, specifically 95%95\%.

The Government of the Roman Republic

  • The Republic: This is the form of government in Rome where citizens accept and elect their leaders. It is described as a fair system where the power lies with the citizens' choice.
  • The Consuls:     * There were two leaders elected to this position.     * Term Length: They served a term of precisely 11 year.     * Veto Power: The consuls had the power to "veto" each other. This means they could vote "no" or argue against their counterpart's decisions if they did not believe the decision was right.
  • The Dictator: This was a specific leader who held total control, but only during a time of crisis.

Roman Law and the City Center

  • The Roman Forum: This was the vital city center of Rome. It served as a hub containing:     * Government buildings.     * Various shops.     * Religious buildings.
  • The 12 Tables: This refers to the formal, written set of Roman laws.
  • Policy of Conquest: As the Romans expanded and conquered other people, they maintained a policy of treating the conquered people well.

Military Conflicts and Generalship

  • The Punic Wars: A series of wars fought between Rome and the city-state of Carthage.
  • Hannibal:     * He was a famous general who invaded Rome.     * Tactics: He notably crossed the Alps using elephants as part of his invasion force.

Internal Reform and the Decline of the Republic

  • Reformist Brothers: Gaius and Tiberius were two brothers who attempted to reform Rome to improve living conditions and rights for poor people.
  • The Five Factors that Weakened Rome:     1. Imbalance of Power: A significant and growing gap between the rich and the poor.     2. Displacement of Small Landowners: Small landowners were forced out of their land and, consequently, out of work.     3. Increase in Slave Labor: A rising reliance on enslaved people contributed to economic instability.     4. Failed Reforms: The greed of the wealthy class led to the failure of necessary societal reforms.     5. Ambitious Generals: Generals began forming their own private armies. These soldiers held loyalty to the generals rather than the state because the generals were the ones providing them with jobs.

The Era of Julius Caesar

  • The First Triumvirate: A political alliance formed between three powerful men:     1. Julius Caesar.     2. General Crassius.     3. General Pompey.
  • Dictatorship: Julius Caesar eventually declared himself "dictator for life."
  • The Ides of March:     * This is the specific day on which Julius Caesar was assassinated.     * The date was established as March 15.