AP World History Chapter 11: Rome – Flashcards

– extensive land empire with centralized administration
– Established links between various Mediterranean regions
– Served as a vehicle for the spread of Christianity

– 8th – 5th century BCE
– From Anatolia
– Cities, manufacturing, metallurgy
– Trade, fleet
– Tremendous influence on Romans

– Two consuls, assembly, senate
– Conflict/tension between plebians and patricians
– Led to creation of tribunes and expansion of plebian role in gov’t.
– Position of dictator: 6 months

– within Italy and with Gauls

– Located in Africa
– Punic Wars 264 – 146 BCE
– Economic competition (especially over Sicily)
– Supremacy in the Mediterranean

– Unequal distribution of wealth: Latifundia
– Strain from administering conquered lands
– Social conflict and civil war
– Gracci brothers
– Republic unfit for large and growing empire
– Power struggles
– Personal armies: poor soldiers loyal to general and not the state

– land reform
– Marius was a reformer
– Sulla was a conservative and a brutal dictator
– Civil war/ “Reign of terror” lasted 5 years
– More small farmers in cities
– By this point, Rome is dead

– Nephew to Marius
– Social Reform
– Popular support
– 49 BCE: marches army towards Rome
– Dictator for life; never took the title of emperor
– Centralized authority
– Confiscated and redistributed property
– Extended Roman citizenship
– Assassination and power struggle

– 27 BCE
– Monarchy disguised as a republic
– Centralized political power
– Preserved traditional Republican offices and gov’t
– Organized military allegiance to himself

– 117 CE

– Facilitated transportation and communication

– Twelve tables 450 BCE
– Applied to all people under Roman rule
– Innocent until proven guilty
– Right of descendants to challenge accusers
– Judges could set aside laws

– Good roads and Pax Romana
– Existing cities benefited
– New cities founded in conquered areas
– Agricultural production for export
– Commercial agriculture: regional specialization
– Mediteranean: “Roman Lake”
– Wealth generated from military expansion

– Concrete
– Luxury goods
– Elaborate sewage and plumbing systems

– Authorities

– Status, property, authority

– Challenged old nobility

– Urban unemployed masses
– Riots, private armies
– “Bread and Circuses”

– Rural: harsh lives; rebellions
– Urban: less difficult; more possibility for freedom

– gods and goddesses
– some adapted from Greeks and Etruscans
– Divinations of future

– popular with Romans (Cicero)
– Universal moral standards based on nature and reason
– Pursuit of justice

– Mithraism and Christianity were the most popular
– Appealed to the masses
– Promised a future
– Provided a sense of purpose

– Sun and light god of Zoroastrianism
– Romans associated it with military values
– Popular among soldiers, merchants, and administrators
– ONLY MEN

– Problem with state cults
– Tense relations with Romans: rebellions
– Jewish War (66 – 70 CE)

– Dead Sea scrolls
– Strict Moral Code
– Ritual: Baptism and community meals
– Looked for Savior

– Sought converts from non-Jewish communities
– Paul of Tarsus

– Rome appears as the principle seat of Christianity
– Gradual adoption of authoritative text