| A | B |
|---|
| Sicily | an island across from the “toe” of the Italian boot |
| Apennies | a mountain range that runs along the length of the Italian peninsula |
| Latium | a geographic plain in central Italy |
| Tiber River | the river on which the city of Rome was established |
| Romulus and Remus | the legendary brothers who, after being raised by wolves, established the city of Rome |
| Aeneas | a Trojan War hero who was said to have sailed after the Greek battle at Troy |
| Latins | the indigenous people of central Italy |
| Etruscans | a group of people who moved into central Italy in about the year of 800 B.C.E. |
| Etruria | the area where the Etruscans had been living prior to moving into central Italy – Rome |
| Tarquins | the ruling family who rebelled against the Etruscans and established a republic in Rome |
| Republic | a form of government in which the leader is not a king or queen but, instead, put in office by citizens with the right to vote |
| Legions | a group of soldiers that number about 6,000 divided into groups of 60 with about 120 men in each |
| Patricians | wealthy landowners |
| Plebeians | artisans, shopkeepers, and small farm owners |
| Consuls | top government officials |
| Veto | in Latin, “I forbid;” to reject |
| Praetors | main job was to interpret the laws and act as judges |
| Dictator | a person who has complete control. |
| Cinicinnatus | one of the best known of the dictators; was a farmer and returned to farm after being a dictator |
| Carthage | city on the north coast of Africa; trading and commercial competitor to Rome |
| Hannibal | Carthage general who, in 280 B.C.E., led an attack against Rome using elephants |
| Battle of Cannae | 216. B.C.E., Roman suffered a severe loss in southern Italy |
| Scipio | Roman General who led the defense against Hannibal |
| Battle of Zama | Romans defeated the Carthaginians which put Rome as the dominate force in the western Mediterranean Sea. |
| Latifundia | large farming estates of the Roman Republic |
| Julius Caesar | a rich and powerful Roman general who seized control of the Republic 44 B.C.E. |
| Triumvirate | a political alliance of three |
| Rubicon | a small river in the north of Italy which was the southern border of Caesar’s area of command |
| Octavian | Caesar’s grandnephew, along with Antony and Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate |
| Battle of Actium | Octavian crushed the army and navy of Cleopatra |
| Cicero | a political leader, writer, and one of Rome’s greatest public speakers; argued against dictators and called for a representative government with limited powers. |
| Augustus | “The revered and majestic one.” Octavian took the title of Augustus |
| Pax Romana | “Roman Peace” |
| Caligula and Nero | came from Augustus’ family and were called the Julio-Claudian emperors Caligula and Nero proved to be especially cruel and irresponsible |
| Hadrian | Emperor that one of the five “Good Emperors,” presided over more than 100 years of prosperity, Hadrian made the Roman laws easier to understand. |
| Aqueduct | a human-made channel to carry water long distances |
| Rhine and Danube Rivers | Rhine and Danube Rivers – During Hadrian’s reign these rivers established the Empire’s eastern border. |
| Puteoli | a large port on the Bay of Naples |
| Ostia | a large pot at the mouth of the Tiber River. |
| Currency – | system of money that used coins throughout the region |
