| A | B |
|---|
| Empire | a group of states or territories under the control of one government |
| republic | form of government in which people elect representatives |
| senate | most powerful governing body in Rome |
| Patricians | members of the landholding upper class; made up the Senate |
| Plebeians | lower class; farmers, merchants, artisans, traders; made up most of the population, had little power |
| Carthage | City-state on north African coast, rival to Rome, had large sea-trading empire |
| Punic Wars | Conflict between Rome and Carthage resulting in Rome becoming the dominant power in the Mediterranean |
| Hannibal | Carthaginian general who invaded Italy |
| Pax Romana | 200 year period of peace & prosperity throughout the Roman Empire, began with rule of Augustus |
| Laws of the twelve Tables | established the principle of a written law code |
| aqueduct | bridge-like stone structure that carried water from hills to cities |
| Julius Caesar | General & emperor who created public works so the poor had jobs & was stabbed to death by Roman senators |
| Octavian Augustus | Roman emperor whose rule began the Pax Romana, created a stable government & a postal system |
| Greco-Roman civilization | Blend of Greek & Roman culture |
| Jesus | Jew who founded Christianity and said his mission was to bring spiritual salvation to believers |
| Diaspora | scattering of the Jewish community outside their homeland |
| Paul | Missionary who spread Christianity |
| Edict of Milan | ended Roman persecution of Christians |
| Constantine | emperor who ended persecution of Christians by issuing the Edict of Milan |
| Theodosius | emperor who adopted Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire |
| Diocletian | emperor who tried to restore order to the Roman empire by dividing Rome into 2 parts |
| Barbarians | groups of Germanic tribes, attacked Rome leading to its downfall |
| Odoacer | ousted the emperor in Rome, creating the final fall in 476 AD |
| Location of the Italian peninsula | dead center of the Mediterranean Sea |
| Roman women | gained more freedom/rights over time; held public roles & owned successful businesses |
| Romans borrowed many ideas in art, architecture, literature from the | Greeks |
| Major contributions of Rome to western civilization | Idea of republican government, an effective legal system, strong system of roads, aqueducts, Latin |
