Roman Advancements
The Romans developed the Julian one of these, which also had 365 days split into 12 months. It was based on the solar year and named after Julius Caesar who implemented it.
What is a calendar?
Society was strictly divided into these two primary classes.
Who were the Patricians and the Plebeians?
According to myth, these two brothers founded Ancient Rome.
Who are Romulus and Remus?
This was one of the most famous buildings left by the Ancient Romans, built during the Empire, where members of the public would come to watch sporting events and games, including battles between Roman gladiators.
What is the Colosseum?
The foundation of Roman military dominance were these military units, typically consisting of around 5000 to 6000 men.
What is a legion?
The famous Appian Way, stretching over 500 kms and used for carrying soldiers and goods for trade, is an example of one of these, which Rome was famous for.
What is a road?
This political alliance formed between Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Marcus Crassus allowed these three titans to bypass the Roman Senate and consolidate absolute power, thus reshaping the late Roman Republic.
What is the First Triumvirate?
This river supplied fresh water, fertile soil for farming, and a water highway for transportation and trade.
What is the Tiber River?
There was almost total peace within the Empire for over 150 years. Law and order was maintained and the Roman economy boomed; it was referred to as this.
What is Pax Romana?
During the Second Punic War, this brilliant Carthaginian general famously marched his army—including war elephants—over the Alps into Italy.
Who was Hannibal?
Introduced during the First Punic War, this ramp for boarding ships, helped turn sea battles into land battles.
What is a corvus?
These were the two highest elected public officials of the Roman Republic.
Who were Consuls?
Rome was originally established atop this many hills which offered natural protection from floods and invaders.
What is seven?
Famously stupid, he rigged gladiatorial games and many historians date the start of the fall of the Empire to his reign. He was assassinated in 192 AD (not killed by Maximus).
Who was Commodus?
This short, two-sided sword became the primary weapon during the late Roman Republic.
What is a gladius?
These were advanced gravity-fed systems used to pipe fresh, clean water into cities and bathhouses from miles away.
What are aqueducts?
In times of severe military crisis, the Senate could appoint a temporary dictator to rule for a strict limit of this many months to resolve the emergency.
What is six?
This mighty mountain range in the north acted as a natural barrier from invaders.
What are the Alps?
The fall of the Western Roman Empire was a slow, centuries-long unraveling rather than a single sudden event. It culminated when this Germanic leader deposed Romulus Augustulus, the last Roman emperor of the West.
Who was Odoacer?
The spike would often break off from the pole of this long but lightweight javelin, which meant that the enemies could not throw them back at the Romans in turn.
What is a pilum?
These were an early, set of written and numbered laws posted publicly so all citizens could know their rights and punishments.
What were the Twelve Tables?
The Republic officially collapsed in 27 BCE when he, Julius Caesar’s adopted son, consolidated all power, took the title Augustus, and became the very first Roman Emperor.
Who was Octavian?
This large body of water was so central to the Roman empire's survival and dominance that Romans called it Mare Nostrum (Latin for "Our Sea").
What is the Mediterranean Sea?
Because the empire became too vast to manage from one city, it was split into the Western Roman Empire (centered in Rome) and the Eastern Roman Empire, centered in this city (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey).
What is Constantinople?
This ‘tortoise’ formation was where a group of soldiers formed a barricade of shields around them to guard against enemy projectiles.
What is a testudo?