Roman Republic History Test Study Guide

Study Notes

People

Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome
Romulus, the first king of Rome
Numa Pompilious, the second king of Rome
Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome
Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who led Carthage in the Second Punic War
Scipio Africanus, the Roman general who won the Second Punic War for Rome
Scipio Aemilianus, the Roman general who razed Carthage in the Third Punic War
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchi, the brothers who proposed land reforms
Cato the Elder, who famously ended all of his speeches, “Carthago delenda est”
Crassus, the general who put down Spartacus’ slave revolt
Julius Caesar, who was kidnapped by Cilician pirates on his way to college in Rhodes
Cleopatra, the famous lover of both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony
Cato the Younger, a strong opponent of Julius Caesar
Augustus, the emperor after Julius Caesar

Things

The founding myth of Rome is the story of Romulus and Remus, twin brothers who founded the city
The Sabine women were abducted to provide wives for the early Roman settlers
Numa Pompilious introduced religious and calendrical reforms to Rome
The Vestal Virgins were a group of priestesses who maintained the sacred fire of Vesta
The pontifex maximus was the chief priest of Rome
Rome transitioned from a kingdom to a republic after the expulsion of the last king, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus
The cursus honorum consisted of the major offices of the Roman Republic, including quaestor, aedile, praetor, and consul
The Punic Wars fundamentally changed Rome by expanding its territory, increasing its wealth, and establishing it as a dominant power
The populares were a group of politicians who supported the interests of the common people, while the optimates supported the interests of the aristocracy
The latifundia were large estates that emerged as a result of the Punic Wars, leading to the displacement of small farmers
The land reform bills put forward by the Gracchi aimed to redistribute land from the latifundia to the poor
The “Conflict of the Orders” was a struggle between the patrician and plebeian classes in Rome
The First Triumvirate was a political alliance between Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, formed to advance their individual interests
Ptolemy XIII assassinated Pompey the Great due to fears of Pompey's growing power
Julius Caesar marched on Rome after being declared an enemy of the state by the Senate
Marcus Junius Brutus was inspired by Lucius Junius Brutus, who had expelled the last king of Rome
The Second Triumvirate was a political alliance between Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus, formed to avenge Julius Caesar's death

Places

Lavinium, a city founded by Ascanius before Rome
Tunisia, the modern-day country where Carthage was located
Sicily, the island where Rome and Carthage went to war in 264 BC
Spain, the country where Carthage began to colonize, leading to the start of the Second Punic War
Cannae, the site of Rome's worst military defeat, where nearly 50,000 soldiers were lost in one battle
Gaul, the country conquered by Julius Caesar immediately after serving as consul in 59 BC
Egypt, the country where Pompey was assassinated
The Curia of Pompey, the building where Julius Caesar was assassinated
Egypt, the country where Marc Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide

Dates

753 BC: The legendary founding of Rome
509 BC: The expulsion of the last king of Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, and the establishment of the Roman Republic
264-241 BC: The First Punic War
218-201 BC: The Second Punic War
149-146 BC: The Third Punic War
133 BC: The year of the land reform bills put forward by the Gracchi
100 BC: The year of the Jugurthine War
60 BC: The year of the formation of the First Triumvirate
59 BC: The year Julius Caesar served as consul
44 BC: The year of Julius Caesar's assassination

Description

Prepare for your Roman Republic history test with this study guide. Review key figures and events in Roman history, including the legendary founder of Rome, its first and last kings, and the Carthaginian general who led Carthage in the Punic Wars.