| A | B |
|---|
| How did Rome's location help Romans to carry on trade and build an empire an empire around the Mediterranean Sea? | The Italian Peninsula is located in the middle of the Mediterranean, surrounded on three sides by the sea which provided an avenue for trade and access to the whole region - ALSO Italy has areas of flat fertile plains that helped farming & helped Rome spread out and be unified - unlike Greece, its mountains in the north & east were NOT barriers to unity |
| Republic | a "thing of the people" the governing body had no monarch [king]; Roman government is like the United States because it has a Senate that represents the citizens and make the laws [like our Congress]; tribunes have a veto power [like our president]; an executive [the consuls] run the government and head the army [like our president] & a judicial system the interprets the laws [like our courts] |
| How did plebeians and Patricians differ? | Patricians were the upper class, landowners who made up the Senate; plebeians were the common people who made up most of the population and had fewer political rights [but did have tribunes to represent them later on] |
| Why did Constantinople become the center of the Byzantine Empire? | Constantinople was located on the Bosporus Strait [a narrow body of water connecting the mediterranean to the Black Sea] so it controlled the eastern trade routes, thus becoming wealthy from trade - Also, it was on a small peninsula that was easier to defend from attacks. |
| Define Pax Romana & its importance | Pax Romana = the "Roman Peace" = 200 years of peace, prosperity & good government starting with Emperor Augustus Caesar & ending with Emperor Marcus Aurelius. It was a "Golden Age" of many achievements in art, architecture, science, etc. The empire was united by roads, trade, Roman Law & efficient government. |
| Why were the Laws of the Twelve Tables established? | The Twelve Tables were written laws for all to see - it gave the Plebeians a defence against arbitrary rulings made by Patrician judges |
| Civil Law | Civil law were the written laws that applied to all Roman citizens & included ideas like - equality before the law, innocent until proven guilty, the right to face your accuser |
| Describe 2 characteristics of Christianity | Christians believe in ONE God & that Jesus is the Son of God; Christians follow the 10 Commandments and practice forgiveness |
| 2 military & 2 economic causes for the fall of Rome | Military = 1. Invasions by the barbarian/Germanic tribes & 2. The Roman army being mostly made up of hired, foreign, non-Roman soldiers; Economic - 1. Slave labor put small farmers out of work & kept wages low; 2. Large gap between the rich & the poor; 3. heavy taxes needed to support big gov't & big army |
| How did its political and social structure cause the fall of Rome? | Political = the empire was too big to govern efficiently & since there were no elections, there were constant civil wars over power; Social structure = the wealfare system caused people to get lazy, expecting to get something for doing nothing |
