| A | B |
|---|
| roman republic | the government in rome from 509 BC |
| res publica | "public matter"; represenative democracy |
| senex | senile |
| senate | a group of 100(later 600) men who governed rome |
| magistrate | any elected official |
| cursus honorum | "course of honor"; the sequential offices |
| quaestores | twenty financial administrators |
| tribune plebis | ten plebians who could veto any law |
| aediles | four managers of public works and games |
| praetores | eight judges in law courts |
| consuls | two men who managed the seante and the army |
| proconsuls | consuls after their one year term is over |
| censores | two men who revised senators and controlled taxes |
| dictator | leader who ruled for six months during emergencies |
| cincinnatus | leader who ruled for sixteen days of battle |
| Lex Hortensia | First plebian dictator |
| Magister Equitum | "Master of the horse" dictator's asst |
| Assembly | An annual election for senator positions by citizens |
| Tribal Assembly | An annual meeting of plebians for rights |
| Plebiscita | The decision of the Tribal Assembly |
| Imperium | Absolute power |
| Cives | Roman citizens |
| Patricians | Richest, aristocratic citizens |
| Equites | Businessmen descended from cavalry officers |
| Plebeians | Poor citizens descended from farmers/traders |
| Peregrinni | Foreigners |
| Provincials | Lived outside Rome; some rights with taxes |
| Slaves | Owned by others; had no freedom or rights |
| Clientes | Plebeians who gave political/social support to patroni |
| Patroni | Patricians who gave financial/legal support clientes |
| Procurators | Special slavs who managed estates |
| Peculium | Rewarding slaves with money as encouragement |
| Twelve Tables | A list of all Roman laws created in 450 BC |
| Decemvirate | The ten-man group who made the 12 Tables |
| Pontifex Maximus | Chief Priest |
| Augury | The flight of birds with religious significance to Rome |
| Augurs | Priests who looked for wishes of gods through augury |
| Geese of Jupiter | Warned Romans at Capitoline of Gauls |
| Haruspice | Priests who interpret wishes of gods by animal gifts |
| Numina | Nature spirits |
| Religio | Relationship between people and spirits |
| Lares | Family spirit who protected luck |
| Lararium | House shrine to the lares |
| Penates | Spirts who protected the storehouse |
| Genius | Spirit that passed among generations |
| Manes | Spirits of ancestors |
| Vestal Virgins | 6 maidens chosen to guard the public hearth |
| Mercury | God who guided spirits to Underworld |
| Charon | Ferryman who brought spirits across River Styx |
| Cerberus | 3 Headed dog who guards the gates of Underworld |
| Paternalia | Period of visitation to the dead in Feb. |
| De Medicinia | A record of all medical advances |
| Praenomen | Personal forename used by the family |
| Nomen | Name that indicates gens; ends in "ius" |
| Cognomen | Name that indicates family branch within gens |
| Samnites | Allies against other Latin cities, but Rome took over |
| Gallic Barbarians | Almost conquered Rome; but later defeated |
| King Pyrrhus | From Epirus, he beat Rome with heavy losses |
| Pyrrhic Victory | A victory with more losses than gains |
| Legion | A group of 4200 soldiers; further divided into maniples |
| Maniple | A group of 160 soldiers (hastati maniple had 120) |
| Velites | Frontrunners of the army; light infantry |
| Hastati | First line of the army, carried 2 spears |
| Leves | Lightly armed skirmishers among hastate |
| Scutum | Rectangular shield used by hastate |
| Hasta | Long spear |
| Pilum | Short spear |
| Gladius | "Spanish sword" |
| Pugio | Short dagger |
| Lorica | Body armor |
| Cingulum | Leather belt |
| Vagina | Shord sheath |
| Principes | The 2nd line of the army; carried sword |
| Triarii | Veteran soldiers at back of the army; heavy infantry |
| Rorarii | Younger, inexperienced soldiers in back of army |
| Accensi | Least dependable fighters in back of army |
| Ordo | Group of 180 Triarii, rorarii and accensi |
| Quincunx | Special Roman battle formation |
| Punic Wars | 3 wars between Carthage & Rome |
| Punii | Latin for Phoenician (Carthaginian) |
| 1st Punic War | 264-241 BC for Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica |
| Messana | Sicilian city that revolted against Carthage; Spark |
| Hamilcar Barca | Carthaginian general; conquered Spain |
| Regulus | Roman general who keeps going for Carthage |
| Zantinis | Greek mercenary who turns the tide with elephants |
| 2nd Punic War | 219-201 BC for SPain, N. Africa |
| Hannibal | Son of Hamilcar; Leads Carthaginians across Alps |
| Scipio AFricanus | Roman general; defeated Hannibal at Zama |
| Publius Cornelius Scipio | Hits Carthage; brings Hannibal back |
| Corvus | "Raven"; hinged gangplank with spikes on ships |
| Quintus Fabius Maximus | Dictator after Trasimene defeat |
| Fabian Tactics | Exhausting enemies with many minor attacks |
| 3rd Punic War | 149-146 BC for destriction of Carthage |
| Marcus Porcius Cato | Roman senator who hated Carthage |
| Carthago delenda est | "Carthage must be deystroyed," by Cato |
| Provinces | Separated countries controlled by Romans |
| Gaius Marius | 7 time Popularis consul; Ceasar's uncle |
| Marius' Reforms | 100 BC reorganization of army by Marius |
| Marius' mules | NIckname for legionnaires; carried 60 pounds |
| Contubernium | Group of 8 soldiers; 10 or 8 per century |
| Century | Group of 100, later 80 men; 6 per cohort |
| Cohorts | Group of 480 men; 10 per legion |
| Legatus | Senator who commands a legion |
| Legionaries | Ordinary Roman soldiers |
| Tribuni Militum | 6 appointed 2nd in commands |
| Praetor Castrorium | Camp prefect; 3rd in command |
| Primus Pilus | Leader of a cohort |
| Immunes | Doctors, engineers, scouts, clerks etc. in army |
| Prima cohors | Largest cohort of a legion; included immunes |
| Centurion | Leader of a century |
| Optio | 2nd in command of a century |
| Testudo | Tortoise battle formation; 4x6 rectangle |
| Caligae | Leather boot-sandal hybrid with iron studs |
| Cornicen | "Horn blower" |
| Tesserarius | Guard commander; password man |
| Decimatio | Killing 1 of every 10 if mutiny is suspected |
| Aquila | "Eagle", symbol of the legions |
| SPQR | "the Senate and the People of Rome," under aquila |
| Aquilifer | Legion's standard bearer |
| Signifer | Cohort's standard bearer |
| Cassis | Roman helmet; did not block vision |
| Bracae | Woolen trousers worn during the winter |
| Posca | Cheap sour wine drunk by soldiers |
| Optimates | "Men of good birth," conservative aristocrats |
| Popolares | "Those of the people," liberal reformers |
| Social Wars | 90-88 BC for allies' citizenship |
| Socii | "Allies" |
| Gracchi brothers | Tiberius & Gaius; fought for plebian land |
