Ancient Rome Flashcards

Grade 6 · Social Studies · Flashcards

Essential vocabulary for Ancient Rome — the Republic, the Empire, and Roman achievements.

Flashcards

Roman Republic

Rome's government from 509–27 BCE, where elected officials and the Senate made laws.

Senate

Rome's governing council of wealthy landowners who created laws and advised rulers.

Julius Caesar

Roman general and dictator assassinated in 44 BCE; his death triggered civil wars that ended the Republic.

Augustus

Rome's first emperor (27 BCE), who brought stability after years of civil war following Caesar's death.

Pax Romana

Two centuries of relative peace (27 BCE–180 CE) that allowed Roman culture and trade to flourish.

Aqueduct

An engineering structure that used gravity to deliver fresh water from distant mountains to Roman cities.

Colosseum

Rome's famous amphitheater, completed in 80 CE, that held 50,000–80,000 spectators for games and events.

Gladiator

A fighter who battled in Roman arenas — most were enslaved people, prisoners of war, or criminals.

Latin

The language of Rome; it became the basis for Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.

Patricians

The wealthy, land-owning upper class of Roman society who held most political power.

Plebeians

Common citizens of Rome — farmers, craftspeople, traders — who gradually won more political rights.

Byzantine Empire

The Eastern Roman Empire, based in Constantinople, that outlasted the West by nearly 1,000 years.

Consul

One of two elected leaders who ran the Roman Republic each year, holding executive power.

Forum

The public square at the center of a Roman city used for politics, business, and social life.

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