| A | B |
|---|
| Romance Language | a language that developed in an area that had been part of the Roman Empire, such as French, Spanish, or Italian |
| vernacular | everyday language of the people |
| Cicero | Roman lawyer, politician, orator, and writer |
| Virgil | official poet of the Emperor Augustus, author of the Aeneid |
| Tacitus | Rome's greatest historian |
| Forum Romanum | Rome's oldest city square |
| Pantheon | a relgious temple |
| Colosseum | 50,000 seat entertainment arena |
| princeps | title granted Octavian, meaning "first citizen" |
| despotism | term meaning government by a ruler with unlimited power |
| mercenary | professional soldier usually hired by a country other than his or her own |
| Praetorian Guard | a special palace guard who policed Rome |
| Claudius | became excellent ruler following Caligula's death |
| Vespasian | army commander who became emperor following Nero's death |
| Hadrian | one of the Five Good Emperors |
