Roman Civ Midterm Study Guide (Recovered) PDF

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Study guide for Midterm with Professor Solomon. This includes all the terms and definitions he assigned for the Midterm exam in great detail. ...

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Roman Civ Midterm Study Guide Everyone feel free to add on to each of these! IDs: Aeneas- The first of the three founding fathers of Rome in Livys version of the Roman Foundation Myths; Aeaneas was believed to be the Son of Venus and ancestor of Romulus and Remus who left Troy in 1184BC leading his family and surviving trojan soldiers to safety. Aeneas befriended King Latinus, who respected Aeneas’s noble demeanor and readiness for peace or war, and together, they founded the town of Lavinium in 1177BC. As Rome was becoming a leading power in the mediterranean, they were eager to claim Aeneas and the other Trojans as their ancestors, further connecting themselves to the Greeks while solidifying Roman values of honor, bravery, and piousness. Romulus as King- Romulus served as King of Rome from 753-716BC. During this time he surrounded himself with trimmings of power such as lictors and forming a council of senators. He also expanded the city in three main ways: through war, not stopping until threats were completely neutralized, through asylum, even for criminals, and by The Rape of the Sabine Women. Romulus exemplified the Roman qualities of imperium and auctoritas; Livy recognizes that the combination of the different qualities in Romulus and Numa advanced the state; he hopes that future Roman leaders will be inspired by and share qualities of both kings. Romulus’ childhood- Romulus and Remus were found by a she-wolf in the forest, who later fed them until they were adopted by shepherds in the countryside, where the boys enjoyed being outdoors and stealing from bandits. The story of their upbringing is a symbolic representation of “truly roman” characterics; the she-wolf represents ferocity and wildness, the shepherds represent a humble lifestyle in the countryside, and stealing from the brigands illustrates a sense of justice. Numa- Numa was the second king of Rome, following Romulus, who ruled from 716-673 BC; he combined the fields of politics and religion by establishing holidays and a yearly calendar, added priests to the city, and implemented laws and customs to cause Romans to fear and honor the Gods. He brought structure to religion and kept peace the entire time of his rule. Livy claims Numa “re-founded” Rome and; his qualities of cultus, pietas, and humility were considered inherently roman qualities and were later reembodied by Cato the elder Tanaquil- Etruscan wife of Tarquinius Priscus’ who convinced her husband to move to Rome after seeing a sign from the Gods. As a result of another sign from the Gods, she adopts Servius Tullius and inspires him to seek the throne. Tanaquil is the opposite of a typical subordinate wife during her lifetime. As the mastermind behind her husband and son’s kingships, she completely altered the history of Rome. Her authority over the men in her life separates her from traditional roman woman at the time and puts her in the same category with the Sabine Women and Lucretia. Tarquinius Priscus building program- (600 BC)Priscus built shops and arcades in the forum, a stone wall that surrounded the city, a stand for the great games, drained water from the valleys using conduits that emptied in the tiber, a site for the temple of Jupiter that he vowed to make during the war. i. Jupiter Temple first Greek-like Temple in Rome ii. Forum was built in the valley, brought people down from the hills, unified city This building program encompassed two major projects to further urbanize Rome: he built the Circus Maximus, a massive entertainment venue and began building the Temple to Jupiter at the Top of the Capitoline Hill. While Livy was not a fan of Priscus, he cannot deny that his building program transformed Rome from separate neighborhoods to a united Urban center which was vital to Rome’s

future political, social, and cultural developments that occurred under Servius’s rule. Servius Tullius census- The census divided Romans into 5 classes and a proletariat, based on their wealth and land, giving the wealthy a greater vote in the comitia centuria, Rome’s electoral college. While the census and comitia centuria were designed to give the poor a greater political voice, their votes did not count nearly as much as those in higher classes. The census exposed the wealth of the upper classes, exciting envy and inspiring Romans to work harder and make more money; while Priscus’s building program physically united Romans, Servius Tullius census united Romans by giving them a political voice. Tarquinius Superbus - King from 534-509 BC. Rises to power violently: kills Servius Tullius. Reigns through terror and violence. He reduced the Senate, killing those who opposed him and his supporters and conducted trials without jury, convicting whoever he pleased. He completed Tarquinius Priscus’ temple to Jupiter, expanded the circus, and developed the sewage system. Livy’s account emphasizes the use of slave labor to build these rather than the benefits of what was built. Lucretia’s virtue- legendary heroine of ancient rome, virtuous wife of Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus who was raped by Sextus Tarquinius, son of Tarquinius Superbus. Following the rape, she kills herself as punishment for losing her honor as well as to set an example for other women, similar to the selfsacrificing attitude of the Sabine Women. The rape of Lucretia angered her brother and husband who revolt against the ruling family and help found the Roman Republic; her character served as a symbol for Roman female virtues. Brutus- Legendary founder of the Roman Republic, who swore he would overthrow the monarchy after his friend Collatinus’s wife, Lucretia, was raped. Brutus became Rome’s first consul in 509BC. Brutus’s emphasis on Res Publica LIVY 145-151 Consuls- the Executive, 1 yr term but then could be prosecuted by private citizen, didn’t pass laws but implemented them, Commander in Chief of Army, had imperium. While Rome did adopt a new republic style of government, the executive branch (consuls) were quite strong because Romans still liked the idea of a strong, brave, Romulus-style leader. The two-consul system, senate, and tribune of the plebs, were all checks and balances on the consul's power, but unfortunately, the possibility of declaring dictatorship allowed censors like Sulla and Caesar to return Rome to an autocracy. Tribunes of the plebs- This was the first office of the Roman State that was open to the plebians. The tribunes of the plebs could potentially have significant influence over Roman politics because of their ability to veto any proposal from the senate, but surprisingly, they did not use their veto power for over 200 years. SIGNIFICANCE was separate but worked side by side with government, had veto power. Senate- “Advisory body” to the Consul. Made up of former consuls and magistrates, very high wealth ceiling meant a select few could be a part of the Senate. The role of the Senate changed over the Republic from a mostly advisory entity to a body with most of the actual power in Rome. Dictators- the executive if placed in by consuls, 6 months max, was there to take care of business, was exempt from some laws/ persecution and could choose life or death of one. Imperium- The authority to control the military and make decisions to the state. Both consuls had imperium, usually in different areas. Originally used to describe the military but became a more umbrella term as Rome conquered and expanded. Auctoritas- Refers to the level of prestige and influence a person had in Roman society. It is viewed as more than just advice one gives, but less than a command. Pietas- Roman virtue that is defined as acknowledgement of God’s superiority over us as well as acknowledging our responsibility toward our dependants. Roman civilization underwent a major shift

when civilians started showing Pietas toward T.Quinticus Flaminius’s; this hero worship was first sign of Rome’s moral decline in the 200s and 100s. Cultus- Roman Virtue, practice of pietas towards the gods through one’s works Evocatio- Ritual Roman generals would use when battle; Evocatio consisted of praying to the gods of the enemy and promising to build them temples and worship them if they abandoned the enemy and helped the Romans win. The practice of Evocatio illustrated Romans unprecedented religious tolerance and how their religion was less concerned with faith in the gods and morality, but rather how it focused on the actual practice of worship. Punic Wars- between Rome and Carthage.(264-241, 218-202, 149-146) Fluctuations in Roman civilization mirrored victories and losses in each of the punic wars. Hannibal- Carthage general during the second Punic War. Came through the mountains and fought Rome at the battle of Cannae where Rome suffered a great defeat. He traveled through Italy for 10 years burning things in an attempt to weaken Rome, which eventually caused the political problems that brought down the Republic. Battle of Zama- 202 BC, Publius Cornelius Scipio defeats Hannibal at Zama. This is significant because it is the defeat of the last real threatening superpower besides Rome in the area. Titus Quintus Flamininus- “Liberator” of Greece in 196 BC, beginning the first systematic interactions with the Greeks. Flamininus is worshiped by the Greeks Gravitas- Roman value for leaders implying austerity, serenity, hard work, seriousness, authority, no tolerance for frivolity. Best embodied by Cato the Elder. Lex Oppia-215 BC, the Lex Oppia declared that no woman can flaunt their wealth with items such as gold , colored dresses, chariots, ect. It becomes an ordeal because Cato opposes all the protest that try to override the law. Cato vs patricians- Growing up with a rural, humble background, Cato had no tolerance for excessive luxury. He targeted high-up Senators and patricians who were generally respected due to their wealth. Cato vs Greeks-Around 155 BC Cato is standing by his humble conservative and military roots, makes an attack upon greek philosophers who were currently having a strong influence on young romans to become intellectuals and pursue philosophical and artistic endeavors. Cato in another display of his similarities to Romulus would rather see young Romans pursue more practical achievements in areas such as the military Demea vs Micio- Demea is characterized as rural, strict, traditional, and unsociable while Micio is described as urban, permissive, friendly, and modern. Demea represents gravitas while Micio represents “weakness” in conservative and traditional Roman ideals. “Brothers Cicero’s defence of Caelius”Handbook “For Herennius”- published in the mid 80s bc.. AD Herennium was the first extant orators handbook that covered every aspect of making a persuasive speech. The writing of AD Herennium marks a significant time in Roman history when Greek teachers began to teach rhetorical tricks and strategies to romans; a practice that Romans had previously too proud to pursue. Tiberius Gracchus- First of the Gracchus brothers to gain power. Tribune of the plebs who invoked veto for the first time since the Concilium Plebis was founded. Disrupted the idea of pietas to the ruling class. Attempted to fix the growing wealth gap in Rome that was caused by small farmers being bought up and then having no work by attempting to redistribute public land. He and 300 of his supporters were murdered by the optimates. Lucius Opimius- Consul who led an against Gaius Gracchus and 3000 of his supporters in 121 BC.

Created Senatus Consultum Ultimum to declare martial law. Optimates- This was the ruling class of very wealthy elites who had the power in Rome. Primary means of power was the Senate and by extension the Concilium Centuriata. Did not just include patricians, but anyone who had a very large estate. More conservative, felt they should keep the power, opposed progressive reforms and welfare. Populares- Opposing group to the optimates. Their primary medium of power was the Concilium Plebis. The poor masses, wanted progressive regulations because they couldn’t make a living with all of the land and wealth in the hands of the optimates. Jugurtha- African king at war with Rome. Rome could have easily defeated him, but Jugurtha continued to bribe weak minded Roman senators. Marius was sent down to end the conflict, and was successful, bringing Jugurtha back and flaunting his victory with a triumph. Marius as a general- Highly respected and successful. He opened up his army to volunteers, provided standardized weapons to his soldiers, and promised land to soldiers that serve for 16 years. This created an army of dedicated soldiers - since it was open to volunteers, many poor Romans who did not own land joined. Since they did not have land to farm, they were available to fight for the army year round. Marius as a politician- Was elected consul 5 times in a row, which was unheard of at this point. Capitalized on his popularity as a general but tried to appease everyone as a consul which made him very unpopular. Was eventually exiled but returned to command a military campaign in his old age, which is when Sulla conquered Rome. Sulla- Military general who marched on Rome with his army to reestablish the auctoritas of the optimates. Made the tribune of the plebs a dead-end job and took away the veto power, greatly reducing the influence of the populares over politics. However, these bandaids did little to solve the actual problems that were causing unrest in Rome, which is why the reforms were abandoned 10 years later. Pompey’s imperium in 67 BC- Pompey was given imperium over all of the mediterranean to get rid of the pirates plaguing the ports. This was an especially large imperium because it included a lot of inland territory and gave a consul even more power, leading up to Caesar’s dictatorship. Pompey as a politician- Like Marius, he was a much better general than politician. Part of the first triumvirate with Caesar and Crassus, brought the military experience to the table. Served as consul without climbing the progression of offices because he was so popular from his military exploits. Was originally a populares but became an optimates with the support of Cato the Younger to oppose Caesar. First Triumvirate- (59-53 BC) political alliance among three prominent men of the late Roman Republic: Julius Caesar (popular politician), Pompey the Great (military leader) , and Marcus Licinius Crassus (richest man). Cato the Younger- Basically the Kylo Ren to Cato the Elder’s Darth Vader. Optimates leader who held many similar views to Cato the Elder but never achieved the same political power that Cato the Elder achieved. Supported Pompey as sole consul not personally but for Rome. Industria- Quality opposite of gravitas. Julius Caesar was known for his industria, which meant that he worked all the time to achieve his goals and was very good at multitasking. Important because it showed a shift in what moderate Romans were looking for in a leader Battle of Pharsalus- 48 BC, Fight between Julius Caesar’s and Pompey’s forces. Caesar was very outnumbered but skillful maneuvering and pressures on Pompey from inexperienced optimates led to a victory for Caesar’s forces, allowing Caesar to take the city. Pompey flees to Egypt and later dies there. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship- Julius Caesar declared himself dictator for 10 years as opposed to for a specific task as was normally assigned to a dictator. He then tried to declare himself dictator for life but

was assassinated by the Senate for undermining the Republic and acting too much like a monarch. Battle of Carrhae- Battle in 53BC in which the Romans, led by Crassus suffered a humiliating loss to the Parthians, resulting in the death of Crassus. The Battle of Carrhae was Crassus’s attempt to get a military victory but his 40,000 men were defeated by 8,000 Parthian archers raining arrows on them; the Parthians looted Roman military equipment and put in on display in a museum; this humiliation angered Romans and they desperately wanted revenge. The death of Crassus left no buffer between Caesar and Pompey, leading to a power struggle, civil war, and eventually Caesar’s dictatorship. Catullus otium- While the direct translation of otium is leisure and free time, otium to Romans was their personal time to take a break from the stresses of being a Roman Citizen. In Poem 51, Catallus sees his otium as making him weak, sensitive, and more like a woman. Catallus’s otium is yet another example of attaching himself with effeminate characteristics; his literary work is a prominent cultural example affirming that Rome is no longer the traditional, conservative city it used to be. Lesbia- Catallus’s love interest who consequently, was the subject of many of Catallus’s poems during the 50sBC. His poems about Lesbia often involved his rejection, the physical pains of being in love, as well as his enjoyment of being submissive to lover. The ideals and emotions Catallus feels towards Lesbia would have been denounced in the conservative, traditional Roman republic, but his writing secretly fascinated Romans in the 40s and 50s. The interest in this erotic literature and the start of Roman aristocrats writing poetry correlates with the crisis of confidence occurring in Rome at the time, further alienating Romans from the traditional roman values in which their city was founded.

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