Overview of History (753 - 42BC)
- Founding of Rome
- legends
- Aeneas, Venus, Troy
- Mars, Romulus, Remus, wolf, Sabine Women
- Lucretia, Brutus, Tarquinius Superbus, Tarquinius Sextus
- reality
- Kingship (753-509)
- Governmental structure
- Merger with Sabines, position of women
- Examples of Etruscan influence
- Why did the kingship end according to legend? Is there any historical basis for the legend?
- The Republic (508-42)
- Government: Functions, etc. of Consul, Praetor, Quaestor, Aedile, Censor, Tribune, the Senate, the Assemblies (as a whole)
- Development/Spread (508-264)
- key to spread?
- what were the ways they treated those they conquered?
- suffered a major setback at the hands of whom, when?
- whom did they fight in Southern Italy? results?
- Conquest of Mediterranean (264-133 BC)
- why did they fight Carthage each time? results of each war?
- whom did they defeat in the East after they defeated Carthage? results?
- what was the new system for treating those they conquered?
- what was effect of these conquests on the Roman state?
- The end of the Republic (133-42 BC)
- what solution did the Gracchi propose to the probems the Roman state was having? Results?
- what solution did Marius effect? Results? Who was Marius?
- who were Sulla, Pompey, Crassus, Caesar & Brutus and what was their significance?
Roman Religion
- Key Terms: animism, pax deorum, pietas, cultus deorum
- Major elements of religious practice: sacrifice, prayer, vow, divination
- Major priests/priestesses: Pontifices, Vestal Virgins, Flamines, augurs
- Deities of the home: Lares, Penates, Janus, Vesta, Manes
- Festivals: Ambarvalia, Robigalia, Lupercalia, Saturnalia (know the principal deity(ies), what sacrificed, what special about the festival)
Social Institutions:
- City Life: What are the pro's and con's of life in the city of Rome?
- Slavery:
- Sources for slaves?
- Owned by?
- Occupations?
- Treatment:
- Of slaves in the mines, on farms, in the city?
- Differences based on occupation? Gender? Nationality? Owner? Time period?
- Other?
- "upper" class/management slaves: qualities of, job/duties, perks
- Revolt of Eunus
- reasons for the revolt
- what happened during the revolt?
- how did the revolt end?
- any effects from the revolt?
- Freedpersons:
- Reasons for manumission?
- Restrictions on freedom of freedpersons?
- Restrictions on freedoms of children of freedpersons?
- Roman attitudes towards freedpersons? consistent?
- Occupations?
- Relations with former master (now patron)
- responsibilities to former master
- how does naming work?
- limitations on what former master can expect
- responsibilities of former masters
- cordial relations? strained relations?
Possible Essay Questions
- Freedpersons: Use the passage from Petronius' Satyricon in Shelton's text as a springboard for a discussion of freedpersons.
- Politics: Compare and/or contrast the way that Romans treated those they conquered in Italy versus those outside Italy during the time-period we have covered. Strengths/weaknesses of the approaches?
