Download Roman Empire Study Guide

Roman Empire Study Guide
ROME AS A MONARCHY
Rome was ruled by the Etruscan Kings.
When the Etruscans came, Rome was a village with straw huts along the Tiber River. After they conquered Rome they
taught the Romans to build temples, streets, and public squares. They introduced togas and short cloaks. Most importantly, the
Etruscans showed the Romans how an army could be more effective.
ROME AS A REPUBLIC
The United States has based its government on the Roman Republic. Please see the other side of this page for a comparison chart.
There were two main social classes in early Rome: Patricians and Plebeians. Patricians were wealthy landowners who held
government offices. Most people were plebeians – shopkeepers, artisans, and farmers. Patricians and plebeians could not marry one
another.
Plebeians demanded that Rome’s laws be written down. That way everyone could know the laws and make sure the judges followed
them. The first written laws were known as the TWELVE TABLES. The Twelve Tables were based on the idea that all citizens
should be treated equally under the law.
THE PUNIC WARS – Rome continued to grow. It wanted to control the entire Mediterranean world, but so did an empire named
Carthage and its General Hannibal. Eventually Rome defeated Carthage. They burned it to the ground and enslaved its people.
ROME AS AN EMPIRE
As a result of the many wars, soldiers began to be more loyal to their military leaders than to the government officials of the Roman
Republic. This gave generals a lot of power. Some of these generals began to use this power to overthrow the republican government.
First Triumvirate – Crassus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar rises to be the only leader and names himself dictator for life! This ended Rome as a Republic. He was
eventually murdered by the Senate. He was made even more famous when William Shakespeare wrote a play about him over
1,600 years later!
Second Triumvirate – Octavian (later known as Augustus), Lepidus, and Mark Antony
Lepidus retires from politics.
Octavian - nephew and heir of Julius Caesar; ruled Western Rome in the Second Triumvirate; defeated Mark Antony and
Cleopatra of Egypt to rule all of Rome in the *Battle of Actium; ruled as Caesar Augustus; began the period of Pax Romana
- 200 years of peace and prosperity; expanded and strengthened the Empire; established a professional bureaucracy
*Battle of Actium - naval battle between forces of Octavian and Mark Antony/Cleopatra; Octavian won and the forces of
Mark Antony/Cleopatra defeated; Mark Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide; Octavian becomes ruler of the Roman World.
The peace of the Pax Romana was followed by a century of confusion and violence. Rome had 22 emperors in a period of 50 years.
FALL OF ROME
A) Political -
One problem was that the empire grew too large to
govern. The Romans tried to solve this by dividing
the empire into the Eastern and Western Roman
Empire.
B) Military –
The average soldier swore allegiance to their
commanding officers, not to Rome; too few men
were willing to be in the military; Rome hired
mercenaries. The Empire was no longer seen as the
source of peace, order, and prosperity that it once
had been.
C) Economic D) Social –
Unstable government meant unstable economic
growth; trade routes were blocked by invasions
Very high taxes on the people led to unrest.
W
The Fall of Western Rome - plunged Europe
into The Middle Ages (500 to 1500)
E
The Eastern part of the empire continues on for
another 1,000 years and becomes known as the
Byzantine Empire.
Ancient Rome Vocabulary
1.
Republic - a form of government in which citizen
select their leaders
2. Legion - a large group of Roman soldiers
3. Patrician - a member of the ruling class
4. Plebeian - an ordinary citizen
5. Consul - head of government
6. Veto - to reject or say no to
7. Praetors - government officials who interpret the
law and serve as judges
8. Tribune - an elected official who protects the rights
of ordinary citizen
9. Dictator - a person given total power
10. Civic Duty - the idea that citizens have a duty to help
their country
11. Latifundia - large farming estates
12. Triumvirate - three rulers who share equal power
13. Pax Romana - Roman peace; a long period of peace
and prosperity in Roman history
14. Proconsul- governor
15. Gladiator - a person who fought people and animals
for public entertainment
16. Satire - writing that pokes fun at human weaknesses
17. Ode - poem that expresses strong emotions about
life
18. Vault - a curved ceiling
19. Anatomy - the study of the body’s structure
20. Reforms - political changes to bring about
improvement
21. Mosaics - patterns or pictures made from small
pieces of colored glass or stone
22. Saints - Christian holy people