GRST 205 PeerWise Questions

NO ORDER
REGAL PERIOD (753-509 BCE)
time when kings and monarchs ruled over rome
in beginning of Rome, people spoke both Latin and Greek, as Greece had major
influences on the society

REPUBLICAN PERIOD (509-27 BCE)

- date of the end of monarchy and start of the republic. Ended during the reign of
augustus.
- SULLA was a form a firm believer of the cursus honorum and re-established its
rules during his time as dictator. All of his work was quickly undone after his death
since Caesar did not adhere cursus honorum when he became dictator. Sulla
tried to reinstate the cursus honorum in order to “favour” men in offices.
- SULLA took control of Rome by marching on the city
- Cursus Honorum – “the sequence of offices” the regular order of in which
magistracies can be held in Roman government (Quaestor>Praetor>Consul)
THIRD SERVILE WAR (73-71 BCE)
- Spartacus and other leaders led slaves and gladiators and threatened the
republic by trying invading Italy.
- Defeated by Crassus and Pompey and Spartacus died in 71 BCE.
- Crassus and Pompey did not receive a triumph for this since it was just
slaves
- TRIUMPH – victors held a parade across the streets and headed towards
Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill. Included the army, captives and freed
prisoners of war and animal sacrifices
Rome founded on the Tiber Lake since it connects Rome to the Tyrrhenian Sea
Some Roman emperors were deified after their death as gods
AUSPICIUM – the authority to consult the Gods and omens to decide what path
to take. Only CONSULS and PRAETORS had this ability
o Praetors – old word for consuls, two praetors took the rule of empire
Secession – Plebeians going on strike during struggle of orders. They leave the
city, up a hill and leave Patricians to maintain order for themselves

 The Early Republic (508-287 BCE)

o Imperium – “the right to command”
o Lex Licinia Sextia – 367 BCE, allowed wealthy plebeians to be elected to
the consulship
o Republic was divided into 2 magistrates:
 Consuls – or Praetors, 2 men who replaced the kings, and were
elected ANNUALLY
 Senate – a council, originally advised the kings but then was an
advisory board for the consuls and a large influence in the Republic
o OTHER magistrates:
 Praetor – old word for consul
 Quaestor – in charge of state finances- likely to after gain entry to
senate
 Aedile – manager of physical infrastructure, 2 plebeian and 2
curule selected annually
 Tribune – protects the plebeian population- 10 of these were
elected annually by the plebeian assembly (Concilium plebis
tributum) – the “Plebeian Assembly”, a popular voting assembly
traditionally dated to 494/493 BCE and whose membership
included only plebeians. 10 tribunes and 2 aediles- to protect.
 The Middle Republic (287-133 BCE)
o The First Punic War (264-241 BCE)
 War broke against Carthage and they fought over Sicily.
 Rome won and SICILY became their first OVERSEAS PROVINCE
 Rome allied with SYRACUSE
o The Second Punic War (218-201 BCE)
 Hannibalic War
 Peace with Carthage didn’t last long and war broke in Spain
  Hannibal captured Spanish town Saguntum who were under Rome
protection
 Hannibal then declared war and crossed the Alps and invaded Italy
 Galic tribe sided with Hannibal
 Defeated in 202 BCE in the BATTLE OF ZAMA by Roman general
Scipio Africanus in North Africa
o The Third Punic War (149-146 BCE)
 The Late Republic (133-31 BCE)
o Death of Julius Caesar in 15 MARCH, 44 BCE, IDES OF MARCH
 AUGUSTUS (27 BCE-14 CE)
 JULIO-CLAUDIANS (14-68 CE)
o Augustus intended family member rules after him, the descendants of
augustus and Livia (wife until his death) formed the Julio-Claudians
 Tiberius (14-37 CE) – good ruler but accused of treason
 Gaius (Caligula) (37-41 CE) – CRUEL and BIZARRE, murdered
 Claudius (41-45 CE) – good ruler, expanded rome but bad choice in
wives
 Nero (54-68 CE)
 The FLAVIANS (69-96 CE)
o (69 CE) YEAR OF THE FOUR EMPERORS: Vespasian (69-79 CE), Galba,
Otho, Vitellius
o Titus (79-81 CE) – son of Vespasian
o Domitian (81-96 CE)
 What does the term socii mean?
o “Ally”, military allies such as some Italian communities when Rome gained
major power in 270s BCE
 What was the size of the Senate (approx.)?
o 300
o Made of former magistrates
 What is the role of the Senate?
o Advise consul, praetor, or Emperor (in Imperial Period)
o To advise and locate where the money should go to
o Determine military assignments
 Where does term Pyrrhic Victory come from?
o Came when King Pyrrhus defeated Rome in
 Who built the Colosseum?
o The emperor Vespasian (Flavian)
 o Vespasian has been said to start the Flavian Dynasty
 Thermae – latin word for bathhouse, latrines, toilet were mixed genders
 Flavians (69-96 CE)
 Chattel Slaves – had no personal autonomy (children became slaves), no legal
rights or privileges and regarded as property
 Gaius Marius, Roman general, led to Marius Reforms, changes in military
professionalism. Enhanced individual soldier training, had them train similar to
gladiators.
o Novus Homo – “New Man”, Gaius was considered a Novus Homo.
 Term referred to an equestrian who was the first person in the
family to gain elected magistracy, particularly consulship.
 Were not liked by people with senatorial status/NOBILIS
 Senatorial – equestrian who had elected magistracy
 Nobilis – equestrians whose family had long senatorial
history
 It was possible to be both nobilis and novus homo
 CATO THE ELDER, decreed at the end of every meeting that “Carthage must be
destroyed!”
 There weren’t clear differences between public and private space in the roman
household.
 Pax Romana – time in between the death of Augustus (14 CE) and death of
Marcus Aurelius (180 CE)
o Time of peace and no major catastrophes
 Jewish Revolt (66-70 CE)
o Vespasian was the victor and after his victory, sent his son Titus to defeat
the Jewish last stand at the fortress of Masada. They committed suicide
and Vespasian assumed imperial throne in 69 CE.
o Flavian Dynasty (69-96 CE)


 Dead Romans buried where they fell if possible

 Pompey the Great
o Rid of pirates (67 BCE) in the Mediterranean
 Lucius Aurelius’ Commodus
o Was emperor with father Marcus Aerilius from 177 to 192 CE
o Liked to fight as a Gladiator
 Marriages and Household
o Cum Manu – woman who enters marriage is under husband’s Potestas or
legal authority. Have to worship same gods and would inherit husband
after his death but not her own father’s family.
o Sine Manu – more popular within 1st century BCE. Wife is NOT considered
in the familia and hereby allowed to worship her own gods. Inherited from
her own father. Wife had greater ability to divorce, while her father’s
consent is need, it is allowed even father objects
o Contubernium – relationship between two, often slaves, which lacks the
legal ability to marry
o Lararium – shrines within the household where the familia worships their
gods
o Family members had dolls to represent them, slaves represented by ball
of yarn on the LARARIUM.
o ROMANS wiped their assholes with sponge on a stick
o Sources of Slaves came from: self-enslavement, conquest, reproduction
 Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River in 49 BCE from Gaul and since crossing to
Roman territory with an army was against the law, he knew he was starting a
Civil War.
 Caesar was FIRST to put his face on Roman Coin.
 Diocletian (“Military Anarchy” or “Crisis of the Third Century”)
o Introduced Tetrarchy (293-311 CE), “rule of four”. System composed of
two senior emperors called the Augusti and two juniors called Caesares.
o Divided the empire into two halves, eastern and western, each governed
by an Augusti.
 Strata – term for “roman road”
 Hannibal NEVER invaded Rome, check first page on 2nd punic war
 After fall of monarchy, Rome divided power between 2 CONSULS
 Res Gestae – the funerary inscription of Augustus
 ********Trajan – Read over pg.38
o Dacian War – not a major republic conflict
o The Nerva Antoine Dynasty
 **Major Republic Conflicts
o Republican, Veii, Samnite, Pyrrhic, Punic, Archaean, Civil
 Pantheon – temple for all gods, built for Trajan and Hadrian, and rebuilt by
Hadrian in 126 CE
 Constantine
 o Was given rank of augusti/augustus in 306 CE after father Constantius’s
death alongside Maxentius, son of Maximilian.
o After years of confusion, became sole emperor of Rome in 324 CE
o First CHRISTIAN emperor and never really seen as a big deal
o Said that his religion led to his victory back in 312 CE over Maxentius
 Mithraism is the connection with the Persian God Mithra, god of friendship,
contract and order.
o Word Mithra also means contract
o Very popular religion within the ARMY
 Gens – nomen/family name, claiming descent from a common ancestor
 Census Ranking from Most Rich to Most Poor
o Senatorial, Equestrians, Decurions, Proletarii
 REGAL PERIOD (753-509 BCE)
o Time in which KINGS ruled over Rome, starting with first king Romulus
 Verna – name given to “homeborn slaves”, child of 2 slaves
 Revolt led by Spartacus ended by Crassus and Pompey
 Debt Slavery – in the roman legal system, a free man could pledge himself as a
bond slave to satisfy a loan, therefore he could maintain his civic rights.
 Flamen Dialis – term for the head priest of Jupiter
o Flamines – term given for head priest of a particular god
 Robigus – numen of wheat blight
 Do ut des – means “I give so that you may give”
 Vestal Virgins
o Tended the sacred flame
o Made sacrifices to Vesta
o Keeping Final Testaments of Romans in the temple of Vesta
o No more than six vestal virgins at one point
 Haruspex – expert skilled in interpreting the appearance of sacrificial animal’s
internal organs.
 Auspex/auspicial – an omen or sign by observing the weather and animal
o Augur – a priest whose main responsibility was the observation and
interpretations of Auspex.
o It was a GOOD OMEN when chickens ate an offering
 Quintus Fabius Maximus – served as consul 5 times and was appointed dictator
in 221-230 BCE, during the Punic Wars. Was censor in 230 BCE.
 Lucius Verus captured trading city of Dura-Europos in Syria. He was a member of
the Nerva-Antoine dynasty.
 The Battle of Carrhae in 55 BCE.
o Decisive Parthian victory, Surena defeats Marcus Crassus
 FREEDPERSONS BEHAVIOUR
o Patron – ex-master
o Obsequium – deference and respect owed to a former master from a
freedperson
o Operae – “labor/service” owed by a freedperson to their patrons on an
annual basis – agreed upon manumission
o First 2 names of liberti had to mirror ex-masters first two names and their
last name is their servile name
 THE FIRST TRIUMVIRATE
o Marcus Licinius Crassus, Pompey the Great, Julius Caesar
o Member was called a triumvir
o A group of young men that helped one another for each other’s benefit
 THE SECOND TRIUMVIRATE
o Octavian, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, Marc Anthony
 Bellum Iustum – “just war” a war thought to be defensive and undertaken with
divine approval, romans liked just war and fetiales oversaw the rituals associated
with its declaration
o Polybius said Rome should continue to conquer because it is easy and
natural for them and shouldn’t think of it as “just war” but more of a
“natural” thing to do.
 IMPERIAL PERIOD (27 BCE-476 BC)
o Began when Octavian took the name Augustus and started his first
Augustan Reforms
o
 Lex Licinia Sextia – allowed plebeians to be elected as consul in 367 BCE
o Usually wealthy plebeians
 TWO TYPES OF ROMAN GOVERNMENT
o During the late republic, 133-31 BCE, roman governments either looked
for leadership of the senate or looked to the people
o Optimates – leadership of the senate “status quo”
o Populares – ambitious men, looked and was popular to the people
(plebeians)
 Fasces – bundle of sticks and rods on an axe that held an image of power.
Traditionally used in executions and torture by the Etruscans and adopted by the
romans.
  Decimation – punishment towards roman soldiers inflicted by a commander
when the soldiers show cowardice. 1/10th of soldiers are beaten to death and
rest are given barley instead of wheat.
 ROMAN ARMY was NOT SPECIALIZED CAVALRY training
 Aedile – manager maintaining physical infrastructure and overseeing public
games
 ENTERTAINMENT
o Ludi and Munera
o Ludi are civic games offered by the state as civic celebration, such
as chariot races (Ludi Circenses), religious (Ludi Saeculares), drama
(Ludi Scaenici)
o Munera are PRIVATE, such as gladiatorial matches
o Roman chariot races were unique. Each participant had their own faction,
who had their own different colours. RED, WHITE, BLUE AND GREEN.
o Faction became their pride and self-identity, and eventually factions were
politicized
o Summa Rudis – referee in gladiatorial matches
 Ad Digitum – “rule of the finger” action of the referee where
interrupts between 2 gladiators and raising finger
 Lex Pugnandi – “law of fighting” written body of rules governing
gladiatorial contest
 Sin Missione – “without release” gladiatorial fight that does not
allow release of either participant. BANNED by Augustus during
Imperial period
 Missio – the release of a defeated gladiator from a fight
 Gladiator fights rarely have any deaths
 Venationes – beast hunts done in the morning
 Damnatio ad bestias – sentencing of criminals to be publically
devoured by wild animals
o Lanista – owner and manager for the gladiators
o LUDUS MAGNUS – large gladiatorial school attached to the colosseum in
rome
 Hadrian known as a HELLENOPHILE, nicknamed “The Restless Emperor”
o Hellenophile – someone who has a love of Greece and/or Greek culture.

COINAGE
 - Roman Aes Gravage – had an image of a ship because of propaganda over their
history of naval success
- Julius Caesar’s coins never depicted him aging, since in Hellenistic traits, gods do
not age, an element of divinity

ENGINEERING
- Romans did not invent the arch, just made it better
- Colosseum built by Vespasian
- 30 m was the largest the Romans could build for an arch
- Women DID appear on roman coins. FIRST woman was LIVIA, wife of Augustus,
first coins issued to the provinces
- No brick or pottery
- COINS:
o Denarius – silver
o Aes Gravage – bronze
o Aureius - gold