Download Egypt Vocabulary

Rome Vocabulary
1.
aqueduct – An aqueduct is an artificial waterway designed to carry water from
one place to another. The word comes from the Latin aqua, meaning “water,” and
ducere, meaning “to lead.” Aqueducts can take many different forms: canals,
tunnels, pipelines, and open troughs.
2.
arch - A Roman arch is a structure that spans a space while supporting weight
(e.g. a doorway in a stone wall). A group of arches put together form a dome.
3.
census – A census is an official count of the number of people, households, or
other items in a particular country or location at a certain time. Census taking
became a common practice in the Roman Empire by 5 BCE.
4.
Christianity – Christianity is the world’s largest and most widely dispersed
religion. More than 2 billion people are followers. It is a monotheistic religion based
on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, a Jew who lived in the land of Israel
from about 6 BCE to 30 CE.
5.
consul – one of two chief officials who held office in the ancient Roman Republic
who were considered the heads of state and leaders of the military.
6.
forum – a public square in ancient Rome. A forum was a place for the public to
gather to hear speeches, shop, worship at temples, and mingle with friends.
7.
gladiator – In ancient Rome gladiators were men who fought against one
another or against large animals as a form of entertainment for others. Generally
gladiators were slaves, criminals, or prisoners who had been captured during wars.
They sometimes fought to the death.
8.
legionnaires – Legionnaires were the soldiers who fought in the armies of the
Roman Empire. Rome’s armies were composed of legions, and each legion had
about 6,000 soldiers
9.
patrician – a descendant of Rome’s earliest settlers. The patricians, whose
name came from the Latin word for “fathers,” were the nobles of Rome. They
headed wealthy land-owning families and provided Rome with leaders in politics, the
military, and religion.
10.
peninsula – A peninsula is a piece of land that is surrounded by water on three
sides.
11.
plebeian – a citizen whose family came to ancient Rome after the patricians.
Plebians were working-class Roman citizens, such as bakers, butchers, soldiers,
farmers, artisans, and weavers. Few plebians could read or write.
12.
republic – a form of government in which the citizens elect people
(representatives) to make all government decisions.
13.
senate – a council of representatives an assembly of citizens that meets to pass
laws for a nation or society. In ancient Rome, the senate was made up of 300 men.
They were all patricians, or members of the upper class.
14.
tribune – a plebeian official who could attend meetings of the assembly in
ancient Rome. Tribunes were military or civil officials in the Roman government.
15.
veto – to stop a passage of a law; from a Latin word meaning “I forbid.”
16. Colosseum - the largest public amphitheater built throughout the Roman Empire.
Built to entertain the public with spectacles such as mock battles, huge fights
between gladiators or between men and animals, and public executions, the
Colosseum was the site of brutality and death for centuries.
17.
Alps – located in southern and central Europe, stretches 750 miles, and covers
more than 80,000 square miles. These tall, steep mountains separate the Italian
Peninsula from most of Europe.
18.
Gaul – Gaul was made up of current-day France and parts of what are now
Belgium, Germany, and Italy.
19.
Tiber River – The Tiber River is just over 250 miles long and is the secondlongest of Italy’s rivers. Its significance is not in its length but in its history. The
fabled twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, are said to have followed the hills carved
by the river when they founded the city of Rome around 750 BCE.
20.
Augustus Caesar (Octavian) – Julius Caesar’s nephew who defeated Mark
Antony and became Rome’s first true emperor.
21.
Julius Caesar - Roman general elected consul in 59 BC. He later became
dictator for 10 years. He was a strong leader and improved many lives by making
laws to help the poor. He also created new jobs and gave citizenship to more
people.
22.
Mark Antony – Roman orator and general who was a friend of Julius Caesar.
He lost control of Roman lands when he was defeated by Octavian.
23. Constantine - Constantine I, or Constantine the Great, was the first Roman
emperor to proclaim himself a Christian and to legalize Christianity.