Rome
· Vocabulary
o
Patricians – upper-class citizens who belonged
to the oldest and noblest Roman families.
o
Republic – in reference to ancient Rome, the
system of city-states government in which decision-making power was shared
between the Senate and other male citizens.
o
Plebeians – the Roman common people, including
workers, small farmers, and wealthy people who were not patricians.
o
Senate – in ancient Rome, a government assembly
appointed by the king, and under the Republic by the consuls.
o
Consuls – in the Roman Republic, two senators
who led the government and military for one-year terms and appointed their own
successors.
o
Dictator – in the Roman Republic, a single
leader with full decision-making powers, appointed for a maximum six-month term
during times of emergency.
o
Tribunes – Magistrates elected by the
plebeians, who eventually gained the power to initiate and veto laws.
o
Client – a person who provides personal service
in return for money and protection for a patron.
o
Patron – a wealthy person who supports others
with money and protection in exchange for personal services.
o
Pontiff – in ancient Rome, one of the Republic’s
leading priests.
o
Paterfamilias – the “family father” in ancient
Rome, who had unlimited power over his household.
o
Matron – title of honor given to a married
women in ancient Rome.
· Italy
and Its People
o
Italy was situated astride the Mediterranean Sea,
commanding every direction.
o
The settlers formed various tribal groups.
o
Around 750 BC, the settlements joined to form a
single city-states, Rome.
o
The Etruscans were non-Indo-European immigrants
who arrived in Italy from somewhere east.
· The Roman
Republic
o
When a king died, his successor was chosen by
the Senate.
o
Around 500 BC Rome overthrew its Etruscan
rulers, and the monarchy was established.
o
They underwent a long and turbulent development
under the influence of social struggles.
· Republican
Values
o
The “mixed government” was not just a system
but a way of life.
o
A group of priests headed by the supreme pontiff
who were leading magistrates of the Republic.
