| A | B |
|---|
| Checks and Balances | A method of balancing power so that one group doesn’t become too powerful. Used in our government today. |
| Consuls | The title of the two upper class citizens elected from the magistrates. Leaders that created laws & lead the army. |
| Gladiator | A slave or captive, who was forced to fight to the death in a public arena against another person or a wild animal. |
| Latin | The official language of the Roman Empire the language that gave rise to the French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian languages. |
| Magistrate | Upper class citizens that were elected into power by the people. ● 20 elected officials in power for 1 year. ● judges, tax collectors, urban planners |
| Patricians | Rome’s upper class citizens who ran the government. They held the highest positions in the republic. |
| Plebeians | Rome’s lower class who rebelled when they weren’t being listened to. Ex. - Artisans, laborers, farmers |
| Punic Wars | A series of wars between Rome and Carthage, a city in northern Africa. They fought over resources, land, control, and power. |
| Republic | A style of government run by elected leaders chosen by the people to represent their views. |
| Roman Assembly | A group that protected the rights of the plebeians [lower class] Could veto actions of the consuls. |
| Roman Senate | A group of upper class Romans that advised the leaders. Made up of 300 patricians |
| Veto | The action of stopping a law from being passed when one group wants it to and another does not. |
| Augustus (Octavian Caesar) | First Roman emperor, won the civil war following Julius Caesar's assassination and went on to unify the empire and establish the Pax Romana. |
| Aqueduct | Raised tunnels used to carry water from the mountains to the cities. (Irrigation systems in Rome.) This is an example of Roman Technology. |
| Byzantine Empire | The eastern empire of the Roman Empire. (Rome splits into two empires to make it easier to control and rule.) The capital was Constantinople. It was run by the Greeks. |
| Colosseum | A large stadium in ancient Rome where athletic events and gladiator matches took place. |
| Constantine | The first Christian emperor of Rome. He declares Rome a Christian empire and helps spreads Christianity throughout empire. |
| Dictator | A ruler who has total power. |
| Forum | The city market and meeting place in the center of ancient Rome. |
| Julius Caesar | A Roman general who overthrew the Roman Republic. He declared himself dictator of Rome but was killed by fellow Romans. |
| Pax Romana | A period of peace for the Roman Empire that began with the rule of Augustus and lasted for about 200 years. The Roman Golden Age. |
| Roman Empire | An empire that succeeded the Roman Republic. 27 BCE – 476 CE. It was the most extensive political and social structure in western civilization |
