| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Colosseum | completed in 80 AD; greatest amphitheater in Rome; combats between gladiators or wild beasts |
| Spartacus | famous gladiator; Thracian slave; led uprising of slaves against the Roman state |
| Circus Maximus | most famous arena in Rome; used for chariot races |
| spina | dividing wall around which the chariots raced |
| Campus Martius | large area set aside for athletic exercises and military training |
| Thermae or balneae | elaborate baths corresponding to our country clubs; contianed gymnasiums, libraries, lounging rooms and gardens |
| polytheism | the belief in many gods |
| Saturnalia | festival dedicated to the god Saturn |
| temple of Vesta | 6 Vestal Virgins kept the sacred fire forever burning |
| pontifex maximus | (chief priests) governemnt officials, not necessarily trained for the priesthood |
| Saturnalia | December |
| arena | circus maximus |
| amphitheater | colosseum |
| Thermae | baths |
| Campus Martius | athletic excerices |
| god of war | mars |
| Bacchus | god of wine |
| Venus | Aphrodite |
| dividing wall | spina |
| long | 2000 feet |
| Latin is the basis of the | Romance languages |
| The chief priest was called by the Romans | Pontifex Maximus |
| The translation of panem et circenses is | bread and circus games |
| The Lares and Penates were | household gods |
| The calendar in use today is essentially the one revised by the Roman | Julias Caesar |
| Vulcan was the god of | fire |
| The Roman goddess of wisdom was called | Minerva |
| The Greek god Hermes was called | Mercury by the Romans |
| The god with two faces was called | Janus |
| Roman baths corresponded to our | country clubs |
| The Laws of the Twelve Tables formed the foundation of Roman law. True or false? | true |
| Penn Station in New York City was modeled after the Colosseum. True or false? | false. They were modeled after the BATHS |
| The Romans practiced polytheism, the belief in gladiatorial combats. True or false? | false. Polytheism is the belief in MANY GODS |
| Saturn was the god of the harvest. True or false? | true |
| Poseidon was the Greek counterpart of Apollo. True or false? | false. Poseidon's Greek counterpart is NEPTUNE |
| Children's games in ancient Rome were similar to those today. True or false? | true |
| The Romans perfected the dome and the pointed arch. True or false? | false. The Romans perfected the dome and the ROUNDED arch. |
| Diana was the goddess of the chase and of the moon. True or false? | true |
| Theatrical performances in Rome were held in open-air theaters in the daytime. True or false? | true |
| Eros among the Greeks corresponded to Cupid among the Romans | true |
| Monarchy | (from 753 BC - 509 BC) there were 7 kings, the first: Romulus; the last: Tarquinius Superbus (Tarquin the Proud) |
| fasces | a bundle of rods with an ax symbolizing supreme authority (origin of the term fascism) |
| Republic | (509 BC - 27 BC) period of struggle and growth first marked by civil war and wars against Rome's immediate neighbors |
| Mare Nostrom | (Our Sea) Roman name for the Mediterranean Sea |
| Empire | (27 BC - 476 AD) Gaius Octavius became Rome's first emperor with the title Augustus. He reigned from 27 BC to 14 AD |
| The Senate | the most powerful body in ancient Rome consisting of about 600 members who held office for life: managing foreign affairs, declaring war and controlling taxation |
| S.P.Q.R. (senatus populusque Romanus) | a symbol of the power of the Senate found on buildings, coins, and standards |
| Popular Assemblies | administered the elective and legislative business of the Roman state. |
| Comitia Centuriata | assembly that elected the higher magistrates - consuls, praetors, and censors |
| Comitia Tributa | the other assembly that elected the tribunes, quaestors, aediles, and minor officials |
| Cursus Honorum | order in which the various important offices might be held according to the law |
| Consul | 2 consuls, elected annually, were the chief executives, and each served as a check upon the other |
| Praetor | 8 praetors were elected annually and served as judges in court |
| Quaestor | 20 quaestors were elected annualy and served as public treasurers |
| Aedile | though not in the cursus honorum, they used their position to gain popularity for election to higher office - in charge of public games and amusements, public works, markets, streets, etc.; elected annually |
| Tribune of the People | 10 tribunes were elected annually and had the extraordinary right to veto any decree or law passed by the Senate or the assemblies |
| Censor | 2 censors were elected every 5 years for 18 months; they assessed property, determined the order of society, fixed the elegibility of senators, rose revenue for public works, and maintained high standards of morality. |
| Dictator | in time of extreme public danger, a dictator was appointed with supreme power for 6 months |
| The Senatorial Order also called the Patricians or Optimates | consisted of officeholders (magistrates) and their descendants |
| The Equestrian Order, or Equites | the wealthy class consisting of those whose possessions were equivalent to at least $20,000 |
| The Plebian Order | the working class embracing the vast majority of the population, consisting of free-born citizens with possessions less than $20,000 |
| slaves | had no rights whatsoever |
| freedmen (former slaves) | had the right to vote and own property, but not to hold office |
| Another name for the Optimates was Equites. True or false? | false. Another name for the Optimates was the PATRICIANS |
| The Republic lasted from 509 BC to 27 BC. True or false? | true |
| The first Roman emperor was Romulus Augustulus. True or false? | false. the LAST Roman emperor was Romulus Augustulus |
| The freedmen had the right to vote and own property. True or False? | true |
| There were 2 censors elected every 5 years. True or false? | true |
| The consul, praetor, quaestor, and aedile were all in the cursus honorum. True or false? | true |
| To be in the Equestrian Order, one had to possess the equivalent of at least $2,000. True or false? | false. They had to possess the equivalent of at least $20,000 |
| 2 consuls were elcted annually for a period of only one year. True or false? | true |
| The Senate had the power to declare war and control taxation. True or false? | true |
| The quaestors served as public treasurers. True or false? | true |
| Rome founded | 753 BC |
| wealthy class | Equites |
| right to veto decrees | tribune of the people |
| elected the higher magistrates | Comitia Centuriata |
| beginning of the Republic | 509 BC |
| magistrates | Patricians |
| public treasurer | quaestor |
| elected minor officials | Comitia Tributa |
| first Roman king | Romulus |
| last of the kings | Tarquinius Superbus |
| The chief duty of a praetor was to serve as a | judge |
| The abbreviation of S.P.Q.R. stood for | senatus populusque Romanus |
| Under the Emperor _______, the Roman Empire reached its greatest extent | Trajan |
| A dictator was appointed for a period of | 8 months |
| Before running for the praetorship, one had to serve as | quaestor |
| The man in charge of public games and amusements was called | aedile |
| _______ was the name given to the Mediterranean by the Romans | Mare Nostrum (Our Sea) |
| The bundle of rods with an ax, symbolizing supreme power, was called | fasces |
| The highest Roman official was called a | consul |
| The ________ Order was the wealthy class of Rome | Equites |
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