Back to AI Flashcard MakerHistory /Barron's AP World - Chapter 4: The Roman and Han Empires Part 1
Barron's AP World - Chapter 4: The Roman and Han Empires Part 1
This flashcard deck covers key concepts, figures, and events from Chapter 4 of Barron's AP World History, focusing on the Roman and Han Empires. It includes foundational legends, significant political figures, military structures, and cultural aspects of the Roman Empire.
legends of Rome’s founding
one legend is that of Romulus and Remus, who were left to die in the wilderness, were raised by she-wolves, and founded Rome; another is that it was founded by Aeneas, a refugee from the Trojan War
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
legends of Rome’s founding
one legend is that of Romulus and Remus, who were left to die in the wilderness, were raised by she-wolves, and founded Rome; another is that it was f...
Rome’s founding (actual)
the early Romans were nomadic pastoralists on the Italian peninsula; they were originally ruled by the Etruscans, who moved in around 800 BC, but then...
dictator
an absolute ruler; in the Roman Republic, one of these could be appointed in times of crisis to restore order
Twelve Tables
written in 451 BC, they were the codification of current Roman law, and established the concept that citizens had the right to protection under the la...
legions
military units of 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers
Scipio
the Roman general who attacked Carthage, forcing Hannibal to return there to protect it, and ultimately defeating Hannibal
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
legends of Rome’s founding | one legend is that of Romulus and Remus, who were left to die in the wilderness, were raised by she-wolves, and founded Rome; another is that it was founded by Aeneas, a refugee from the Trojan War |
Rome’s founding (actual) | the early Romans were nomadic pastoralists on the Italian peninsula; they were originally ruled by the Etruscans, who moved in around 800 BC, but then established their own empire |
dictator | an absolute ruler; in the Roman Republic, one of these could be appointed in times of crisis to restore order |
Twelve Tables | written in 451 BC, they were the codification of current Roman law, and established the concept that citizens had the right to protection under the law |
legions | military units of 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers |
Scipio | the Roman general who attacked Carthage, forcing Hannibal to return there to protect it, and ultimately defeating Hannibal |
latifundia | large Roman estates where people were enslaved and forced to work; their development displaced many former small-time landowners into the cities, and fueling the development of an urban poor |
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus | two brothers who devoted their careers to the relief of the poor in Rome, even as it became more corrupt; their major plans included redistribution of land from latifundia to peasants; Tiberius was clubbed to death by other senator’s supporters, and Gaius committed suicide to prevent the same from happening to him |
Marius | became a consul in 107 BC after suppressing a rebellion in North Africa; substituted Rome’s drafted army with a professional one; this led soldiers to become more devoted to their commanders, and less to Rome |
Sulla | another general who executed many of Marius’ followers in 82 BC and acted as military dictator until 79 BC |
1st triumvirate | a political alliance in 60 BC between Crassus, a wealthy aristocrat, Pompey, a highly regarded general, and Julius Caesar, another general |
Cleopatra | intervening in a power struggle in Egypt, Julius Caesar placed this women on the throne of Egypt as an ally of Rome |
2nd triumvirate | composed of Octavian (Caesar’s nephew), Marc Antony, and Lepidus; Lepidus was forced into retirement by Octavian, and after a long power struggle against the combined force of Egypt and Marc Antony, Octavian won control of the Roman Empire, taking the title Caesar Augustus |
Pax Romana (Roman Peace) | a period of peace that was created by a succession of very good and capable Roman Emperors; it was a 207-year period of prosperity starting with the rule of Augustus in 27 BC |
Trajan | increased the empire to it’s greatest size |
Hadrian | erected defensive walls in northern Britain |
Marcus Aurelius | a stoic philosopher, he was the last of a succession the “5 Good Emperors” of Rome; when his rule ended, so did the Pax Romana |
entertainment | with the establishment of the empire, new forms of entertainment arose to distract people from the poor conditions and keep them from revolting; these included major fairs with horse races, gladiator fights, and the distribution of free bread |
Roman government | the government of Rome kept a watchful eye on its provincial governors, and brought the benefits of civilization and advanced technology into it’s provinces as well; Roman law involved modern legal concepts such as innocent until proven guilty and protection of citizens |
Roman learning | the Roman Empire valued education only for it’s practical use, and were not very intellectually curious, as the Greeks had been; as a result, they did not have many intellectual, mathematic, or scientific achievements, though they were very advanced architecturally |
Roman literature | Roman literature featured histories, essays, poetry, and biographies; Virgil, the greatest Roman poet, wrote the Aeneid, which extolls Rome’s greatness |
zealot | during this time period (there is a different definition for them in general), were Jewish loyalists who aimed to rid Judea of Rome’s dominance |
Paul of Tarsus | the greatest Christian missionary of the 1st century AD, he was a persecutor of the Christians who eventually converted to Christianity and became a follower himself |
Gentiles | those who are not Jewish |
2nd Diaspora | this was when Rome, finally fed up with zealot rebellions, broke up the Jewish state and dispersed the Jews throughout the Roman Empire |
Wailing Wall | during the 2nd Diaspora, the Roman’s destroyed the temple of Jerusalem, and all that remained was the western wall of the temple; today, it still stands as the most noted Jewish shrine |