Key Terms
What is the name of the common people of Rome, such as farmers, artisans and merchants, who had limited political rights?
Plebeians
What was the name of the twin brothers who are said to have been raised by a she-wolf and were the founders of Rome?
Romulus and Remus
The Eid Mar coin was minted in 43 BCE. Is it a primary or secondary source? Why?
Primary because it was made at the time.
Rome developed on the bank of which river that gave it access to the Mediterranean Sea?
The Tiber River
Who was the god of the Roman gods?
Jupiter
What is the name of the main military units of the Roman army, made up of thousands of soldiers?
Legions
Who was a general who self-declared a dictator for life and was assassinated on the Ides of March, 44 BCE?
Julius Caesar
A Pompeii fresco (c. 60 CE) shows Terenetius Neo holding a scroll and his wife holding a stylus. What does this suggest about Roman education?
Romans valued literacy, and even women could read and write.
What did Romans call the Mediterranean Sea, and what does it mean?
Mare nostrum, "our sea"
Why was the colour purple a symbol of wealth and power in Rome?
The dye was rare and very expensive.
(Hint: Latin for "the Roman way")
Via Romana
Rank from most to least powerful: plebeians, slaves, emperor, freedmen, patricians
Emperor, patricians, plebeians, freedmen, slaves
Grinding stones found at Cuddie Springs, NSW, are about 30,000 years old. What do they tell us about First Nations peoples?
They ground seeds to make flour and bread, which shows that they farmed and processed grain long before the Egyptians.
What is the name of the region in central-west Italy where Rome began?
Latium
What did adult male citizens wear on important occasions as a symbol of Roman citizenship?
The toga
What is the name of the family and community system that guides relationships and responsibilities in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies?
Kinship
Name one right Roman citizens had that non-citizens did not, and one responsibility they had.
Rights: voting, legal rights, owning property
Responsibility: military service
The Eid Mar coin shows two daggers and a cap of liberty. What message did Brutus want to send?
Killing Caesar freed Rome from a tyrant.
When the last Ice Age ended, sea levels rose. Name one landmass or island group that was cut off from mainland Australia.
Tasmania, New Guinea, the Torres Strait Islands, K'gari (Fraser Island), Hinchinbrook Island.
Give two reasons why gladiator contests at the Colosseum were important in Roman society.
Free entertainment for the people; showed the emperor's generosity and power; celebrated courage and Roman strength; seating reflected the social hierarchy
What is the name of the period of peace and stability that lasted around 200 years and began with Augustus (formerly Octavian)?
Pax Romana
Born as Octavian, who became Rome's first emperor in 27 BCE?
Augustus
A website written in 2024 describes the role of the Roman emperor. Is it primary or secondary? Give one strength and one limitation of this source.
Strength: it gives a broader view; it is easier to access; it provides academic interpretation
Limitation: it was written long after the events; it may misrepresent the original sources; it may be biased
Put these in chronological order: Western Empire falls, Rome is founded, Republic begins, Augustus becomes emperor.
Bonus points if you give an estimated year!
Rome founded (753 BCE), Republic begins (509 BCE), Augustus becomes emperor (27 BCE), Western Empire falls (476 CE).
Neptune