Exam Study Notes

Key People

  • Cato: Roman statesman known for his conservatism and opposition to Julius Caesar.
  • Cicero: Roman philosopher, writer, and statesman. Famous for his oratory and philosophical works.
  • Augustus: First Roman emperor, who established the Roman Empire after the Roman Republic.
  • Julius Caesar: Roman general and statesman who played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.
  • Horace: Leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.
  • Virgil: Ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period, known for his epic poems, especially the Aeneid.
  • Plutarch: Greek biographer and essayist, known for his Parallel Lives, biographies of famous Greeks and Romans.

Vocabulary for the Final Exam

Core Concepts

  • Confederation: A league or alliance of states more or less permanently united for common purposes.
  • Common Good: The benefit or interests of all.
  • Cursus Honorum: The sequential order of public offices held by aspiring politicians in both the Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire.
  • Public Law: The part of law that governs relationships between individuals and the government, and between governments.
  • Private Law: The part of law that governs relationships between individuals and private entities.
  • Individual Freedom: The liberty of an individual to exercise freely those rights generally accepted as outside of governmental control.
  • Edict: An official order or proclamation issued by a person in authority.
  • Plebiscita: Laws passed by the Plebeian Council in ancient Rome.
  • Politeia: Ancient Greek term for "citizenship" or "government."
  • Faction: A small, organized, dissenting group within a larger one, especially in politics.
  • Imperialism: A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.
  • Natural Law: A body of unchanging moral principles regarded as a basis for all human conduct.
  • Civil Law: A legal system inspired by Roman law, the primary feature of which is that laws are written into a collection, codified, and not determined, as in common law, by judges.
  • Clementia: A Roman concept referring to mercy or leniency.
  • Tripartite: Composed of three parts.
  • Civic Virtue: Behavior and actions aimed at promoting the common good in a society.
  • National Freedom: The independence of a nation.
  • Political Freedom: The freedom to participate in political life.
  • Envoy: A diplomatic agent.
  • Dictator: A ruler with total power, typically one who has obtained power by force.
  • Optimates: The traditionalist Senatorial majority of the late Roman Republic who wished to retain their privileges.
  • Equestrians: A social class in ancient Rome, ranking below patricians.
  • Aediles: Roman officials responsible for maintaining public buildings and regulating festivals.
  • Imperium: The power to command, especially military command, in ancient Rome.
  • Proscriptions: A decree of condemnation to death or banishment, published by Sulla in 82 BC and by the Second Triumvirate in 43 BC.
  • Civitas: The body of citizens constituting a state.
  • Populares: Roman politicians who favored the cause of the plebeians.
  • Consuls: The highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.
  • Questors: Roman officials who administered financial matters.
  • Patricians: Members of the privileged upper class in ancient Rome.
  • Praetor: An official of the Roman Republic in charge of administrating justice.
  • Commonwealth: An independent country or community, especially a democratic republic.
  • Plebeians: Common citizens of ancient Rome.
  • Common Good: The principle or condition that benefits society as a whole.
  • Pater Familias: The head of a Roman family.
  • Clients: People under the protection of a patron.
  • Corpus Iuris Civilis: A body of civil law.
  • Date of Corpus: Important for historical context; the specific date will be provided on the exam.