1. Rome Vocabulary
Section #1

2. Romulus & Remus
• According to legend, two sons who founded
Rome
Monarchy
• Gov’t where one head chief or leader rules

3. Republic
• Gov’t where voters elect officials to run
gov’t=Representative Democracy
Empire
• Many people and places all under the control
of one country, territory or person

4. Latins
• First people to build Rome – known as first
Romans

5. • Dictator-absolute ruler, can be elected
• Senate-legislative and administrative; make
foreign and financial decisions and advise
consuls; includes 300 members chosen for life

6. • Assemblies-elect tribunes and make laws;
made up of citizens
• Magistrate/Consuls-two chief executives; ran
government and commanded the army
• Senate
• Assemblies
• Magistrate/Consul

7. • Tribunes-10 member assemblies of Plebians
to see if laws help people
• Twelve Tables-Rome’s recorded laws on metal
and placed in forum for all to see

8. • Censors-registered citizens to their wealth,
oversaw moral conduct of citizens; count
people
• Veto-”forbid”-go against, stop something,
cancel out laws of decisions
• Checks & Balances-checking another branch
of gov’t power so it doesn’t make poor
decisions or get too powerful

9. • Patricians-nobility, powerful landowners
• Plebians-workers, farmers, artisans

10. Punic Wars
• 1st Punic War-Rome gains Sicily, Carthage
• 2nd Punic War-Hannibal invades Italy through Alps;
wins at Cannae: Scipio wins at Saguntum, Scipio sails
to Carthage, Hannibal comes home, Scipio wins there
at Zama
• Hannibal – Carthaginian General
• Scipio – Roman General/Consul
• 3rd Punic War-utter destruction of Carthage (burned
to the ground)
• Legions – large military units of Roman soldiers (500
foot, Calvary support. 80men=century/centurion)

11. Rome Vocab section #2
• Tiberius & Gaius Gracchus- attempted to help
poor; proposed limiting estates and to give
land to the poor
• Gnaeus Pompey- popular general in the 1st
triumvirate; fought Caesar in civil war and lost
– he then fled Rome
• Civil War- conflict between groups within the
same country

12. • Julius Caesar- military leader, elected dictator for
life; wins civil war; assassinated in 44 B.C.
• Triumvirate-rule of three; 1st triumvirate:
Pompey, Caesar, and Crassus
• Marc Antony- drove Caesar’s conspirators out of
Rome; led armies east to gain land; formed 2nd
triumvirate; commits suicide
• Cleopatra-Queen of Egypt; has relationship
w/Rome & Caesar; has relationship w/ Marc
Antony-commits suicide instead of being
captured by Augustus

13. • Octavian/Augustus-pushed out Marc Antony; starts
Pax Romana-Golden Age; known as “the revered
one”; dies in 14 A.D.; takes over Egypt; credited with
great improvements
• Pax Romana- period of Roman peace; 200 yrs. of
peace & prosperity for Rome; starts w/ Augustus;
reduces powers of SAM
• Caligula-37-41 A.D.; mentally disturbed
• Nero-54-68 A.D.; insane; good administrator; vicious,
murders, persecuted Christians
** at this time in Roman history Rome was left without a strong leader
• Domitian- 81-96 A.D.; ruled as dictator; feared
treason everywhere & executed many

14. • Nerva-96-98 A.D.; began custom of adopting
an heir
• Trajan-98-117 A.D.; empire reaches greatest
heights; building program; social welfare
• Hadrian-117-138 A.D.; consolidated
conquests; reorganized bureaucracy, WALL
• Antoninus Pius-138-161 A.D.; reign was
largely a period of peace & prosperity
• Marcus Aurelias-161-180 A.D.; height of
economic prosperity; defeat invaders; wrote
philosophy

15. • Gladiators/Colosseum- trained fighters,
usually slaves; Drew lg. crowds-fought people
& animals to death; public executions.
Colosseum: large arena
• Aqueducts- bridge like structure carried water
from the mountains to the cities; later
destroyed by barbarians
• Pompeii- town destroyed by eruption of Mt.
Vesuvius in 79 A.D. killing about 2,000 people
• Virgil-poet, wrote Aeneid-about Prince of
Troy; explains reason for Roman expansion

16. • Tacitus- wrote Annals Histories; history of
Romans-presented facts accurately
• Horace-writer; wrote about human emotions
in odes, satires and letters
• Ptolemy-studied astronomy (suns & stars)
revolved around earth; theory accepted for
1500 yrs.
• Greco-Roman culture-mixing of Greek,
Hellenistic and Roman culture
• Mosaic-pictures made of crushed glass and
stone

17. Rome vocab section #3
• Rabbis-Jewish scholars who interpret
scriptures; learned Jewish law-leaders of the
people
• Diaspora-spreading out of Jews from the Holy
Land
• Bishops-above the priests in each city
• Peter-traveled to Rome from Jerusalem and
becomes the first bishop

18. • Patriarchs-Bishops in empire cities
• Jesus-teacher; Jesus of Nazareth; Son of God;
Takes away peoples sins by dying on a cross;
people who believe in him will be forgiven and
go to heaven
• Apostles-people who spread good news of
Jesus
• Paul-traveled spreading Christianity; was
known as Saul until he changed his name
• Martyrs-Christians put to death for their
beliefs
• Pope- “father” supreme patriarch /leader of
Roman Catholic Church

19. • Inflation-rise in prices because of a decrease
in money value
• Diocletian-General in Roman Empire; rules
WEST. Emperor in 284 A.D.; splits empire to
more easily control it.
• Constantine-Co-Emperor-eventually wins out;
makes Christianity legal; becomes emperor in
EAST; makes area Christian after victorious in
battle

20. • Barbarians-nomadic tribes who invade Roman
Empire; Germanic tribes; many settle and create
kingdoms
• Goths-located N. or Danube river; heavily armed
(raid & plunder); Visogoths & Ostrogoths
• Angles & Saxons-invade NW Europe; settle in
England and Ireland; from Mainland Europe
• Magyars –invaders who settle in Hungary
• Attila the Hun-attacks Gaul & invades Rome;
come from Russia area; Invade/conquer N. Africa,
• Mercenaries-soldiers who fought for money; not
necessarily Roman men-less loyal to Empire