Roman Vocabulary
About this set
Created by:
12mcollins on February 17, 2009
Subjects:
Classes:
Log in to favorite or report as inappropriate.
Order by
37 terms
Latin | English |
|---|---|
| Augustus |  the honorary name given to Octavian by the senate in 27 B.C. and used to refer to him after this time. |
| Byzantium | the civilization that developed from the eastern Roman Empire following the death of the emperor Justinian (C.E. 565) until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. |
| centurions | the Roman army's highest professional officer, originally the leaders of the centuries (units of 100 men) |
| comedy | a play about the humorous interaction of people, events, and ideas. |
| consul | the chief executive official of the Roman Republic. |
| dictator | a supreme commander; usually the chief official under a state of emergency and military law. |
| Edict of Maximum Prices and Wages | in 302/ beginning of the fourth century, Diocletian set price ceilings on over 1,000 goods and services. Prices continued to rise to the point where official production became unprofitable. |
| Gaul | is a catchall term for the Celtic and Germanic tribes fought and migrated their way back and forth over Europe for centuries; modern-day France. |
| Golden Age | is a period of Roman Literature roughly from 100 B.C.E. to C.E. 14. |
| Gracchi | refers to two brothers (Tiberius and Gaius); they promoted giving land and voting reforms to the poor. Both were killed because they advocated these reforms. |
| imperator | comes from the Latin word "imperium"; translates to power of command |
| insulae | overcrowded apartment blocks |
| latifundia | large landed estates |
| Latin League | a confederation of Latin cities neighboring Rome; each member held equal rights in the coalition. Rome conquered them and broke up the Latin League. |
| Middle Ages | the period between the fall of the Roman Empire in the west (470) and the beginning of the European Renaissance in the 1400s. This period is also known as "Medieval." |
| Pater Patria | means "the Father of his country;" the title Cicero (and later Augustus) was given by the Senate. |
| paterfamilias | male dominance in the family |
| patricians | the wealthy class in Roman society; landowners |
| Pax Romana | means "Roman Peace;" specifically the term that refers to the peace and stability that Rome maintained within its borders during the early empire. |
| plebeians | lower class, usually small farmers |
| Pontifex Maximus | the high priest of Rome, the head of Roman state religion; he appointed and oversaw the vestal virgins. |
| praetor | they were second to the consuls; were primarily judicial officials (judges); They had to be at least 39 years old. |
| Praetorian Guard | they evolved from the bodyguards that protected a general. Augustus established several units from his own troops and they became the later emperors' personal elite force. |
| proscriptions | published list of names; a man on the list was declared a public outlaw and could be hunted down and killed for a reward. His sons lost their citizenship. Many of the proscribed were guilty of nothing more than being rich. |
| Punic | derived from the Latin word Punici/Punicus, which the Romans called the Carthaginians. The word comes from their origin as Phoenicians. |
| quaestors | public finance and record officials (roughly a treasurer). They had to be at least 25 years old. |
| Republic | refers to the period of Roman history from the overthrow of the monarchy -- Etruscan (509 B.C.E) |
| Romance Languages | those European languages descended from Latin, namely French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish |
| Romanitas | the Latin term for "Roman-ness."; it refers to the Roman way or manner of doing things. |
| rostra | the speaker's platform in the forum from which orators such as Cicero delivered orations. |
| satire | form of entertainment that uses irony and sarcasm; Romans were proud of this |
| SPQR | stands for "Senatus Populus Que Romanus" and translates to the Senate and the People of Rome; the symbol is found emblazoned on light posts, mailboxes, street signs, and other municipal fixtures in modern-day Rome. |
| tribute | comes from the word "tributum"; it was the yearly assessment of taxes. Provinces and conquered peoples had to pay this - usually in installments |
| triumvirate | government ruled by three individuals |
| Twelve Tables | Rome's first code of laws; adopted in 450 B.C. |
| Veni Vidi Vici | Latin for "I came, I saw, I conquered." |
| Vestal Virgins | an ancient line of priestesses of the goddess of the hearth, Vesta. A vestal entered service at about 6 - 10 yrs. old and served for 30 years. After age 30, a vestal was free to marry -- though few did. They oversaw a number of rituals. |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.