Ancient Rome Notes PDF

Republic,A government in which citizens rule through elected representatives. Plebeian,An ordinary citizen in the ancient Roman Republic. Patrician,In Ancient Rome, this was a person of noble birth; an aristocrat. Tribune,In ancient Rome, an official elected by the plebeians to protect their rights....

Republic,A government in which citizens rule through elected representatives. Plebeian,An ordinary citizen in the ancient Roman Republic. Patrician,In Ancient Rome, this was a person of noble birth; an aristocrat. Tribune,In ancient Rome, an official elected by the plebeians to protect their rights. Legion,A group of about 6,000 foot soldiers in the army of ancient Rome. 12 Tables,The 1st written code of laws in Rome Consul,The elected leaders of the Roman army and government. They would rule for one year. Senate,A group of 300 men elected to govern Rome in the Roman Republic. Dictator,A ruler who has complete power over a country. Punic Wars,A series of Roman wars against Carthage, a city in Northern Africa. Pax Romana,200 year period of peace in Rome. Apostle,Early Christian leader who had been chosen by Jesus to spread his message Aqueducts,Bridge-like stone structures that carry water from the hills into Roman cities The Colosseum,A large arena for "the games", such as animal hunts and gladiator fights. Gladiator,In ancient Rome, a person who fought people or animals for public entertainment. Constantinople,The capital of the eastern Roman Empire and later of the Byzantine Empire. Barbarians,Tribes from Northern Europe who invaded the remnants of the Roman Empire and settled there. Geography of Rome,central location, surrounded by mountains and near Mediterranean sea offers protection and helped with trade Roman Mythology,The Romans believed in many of the Gods the Greeks did but gave them Latin names. Features of democracy in the Roman Republic,- representative democracy - assemblies - The Senate - consuls - Twelve Tables The evolution of the Roman Empire and Roman culture spread to,the Mediterranean basin and Western Europe Causes for the decline of the Roman Republic, Spread of slavery in the agricultural system Migration of small farmers into cities and unemployment Civil war over the power of Julius Caesar Devaluation of Roman currency; inflation Origin and evolution of Imperial Rome:, First triumvirate Julius Caesar: Seizure of power, assassination Augustus Caesar: Civil war, defeat of Marc Anthony, Rome's first emperor Empire: Unified and enlarged, using imperial authority and the military - Failure to provide for peaceful succession of Emperors Augustus Caesar,The first emperor of Rome, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, help Rome come into Pax Romana, or the Age of Roman Peace Pax Romana,A period of peace and prosperity throughout the Roman Empire, lasting from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180. Economic impact of the Pax Romana,Established uniform system of money, which helped to expand trade Guaranteed safe travel and trade on Roman roads Promoted prosperity and stability Social impact of the Pax Romana,- returned stability to social classes - increased emphasis on the family Political Impact of the Pax Romana, Created a civil service Developed a uniform rule of law Impact of the Church of Rome in the late Roman Empire,- emperor Constantine converted to Christianity - Christianity later became official state religion - The Church became a source of moral authority - Loyalty to the Church became more important than loyalty to the Emperor - The Church became the main unifying force of Western Europe Contributions of Ancient Rome, Art/architecture: Pantheon, Colosseum, Forum Technology: Roads, aqueducts, Roman arches Science: Ptolemy Medicine: Emphasis on public health (public baths; public water system; medical schools) Language: Latin, Romance languages Literature: Virgil's Aeneid Religion: Roman mythology; adoption of Christianity as the imperial religion Law: The principle of ―innocent until proven guilty‖ (from the Twelve Tables) causes for the decline of the Western Roman Empire,- geographic size - economy - moral decay - political problems - military - invasion The division of the Roman Empire included:,- move of capital by Constantine from Rome to Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople - Survival of Western Roman Empire until 476 CE - Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire)