Classical Studies 3151F/G Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Roman Republic, Roman Consul, City
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Professor
Classical Studies
3151F/G
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
SEPTEMBER 10 2018 LECTURE
GENERAL BACKGROUND
Roman Names
• Men had two or three names
o The family name was the second name
▪ nomen
o The given name was the first name
▪ praenomen
o Examples
▪ Gaius Marius
▪ Titus Livius
▪ Gaius Octavius
• Aristocratic Roman clans were very large
o Branches of the family could be indicated by a third name
▪ cognomen
o Examples
▪ Marcus Tullius Cicero
▪ Gaius Julius Caesar
▪ Public Cornelius Scipio
• Sometimes a particularly prominent Roman would add a third or fourth name
o agnomen
▪ Nickname
▪ Indication of achievement
o Examples
▪ Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus
▪ Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix
▪ Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus
▪ Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus
• Third name does not indicate the branch of his family but an
achievement
• Adoption was common among aristocratic families
o Could be indicated by an additional cognomen or agnomen
o Publius Cornelius Scipio adopted the biological son of Lucius Aemilius Paullus
Macedonicus
▪ The boy became Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus
• Eventually became Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus Africanus
Numantinus
• Roman women had only the nomen
o The difficulty of distinguishing between women of the same family led to the use
of various nicknames
▪ Some women had prominent public roles
• Needed a way to differentiate between them
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
SEPTEMBER 10 2018 LECTURE
Government
• The traditional date of the foundation of Rome was 753 BCE
o First ruled by kings who were elected for life
▪ Legendary first king as Romulus
▪ The second king was Numa Pompilius
• Often credited with the creation of many Roman laws
• According to legend the Romans overthrew the last king in 509 BCE
o Instituted two annually elected praetors as the chief magistrates
▪ They held imperium
• The power to command
▪ Also held the power of intercessio
• The ability to stop the action of the other praetor
• In the early 5th century BCE the plebeians seceded from Roman
o Formed their own government headed by annually elected tribunes
▪ This began the Struggle of the Orders
o To get them back the Roman patricians allowed to plebeian assembly to pass
laws, gave the tribunes the right if intercessio, and eventually made written laws
public
▪ 450 BCE
• The Twelve Tables
• In 367 BCE the Romans created a third praetorship
o Renamed the original two praetors “consuls”
o The praetors and consuls now all held imperium
▪ The consuls held maius imperium
• Their imperium was greater
o The praetor could not halt the actions of the consuls
• After the Second Punic War at the end of the 3rd century BCE a regular order of offices
was established
o The cursus honorum
o Magistrates with imperium had virtually unlimited authority when outside the city
▪ militiae
o When in the city of Rome the authority of the magistrate was somewhat limited
by the rights of provocatio and intercessio
o Prorogation was a standard practice
▪ A magistrate would serve in an administrative capacity in Rome for his
year in office
• He would then become a military commander or provincial
governor as a way to rule under a praetor or consul
o Normal age
▪ Quaestors
• 30 years old
▪ Aediles
• 36 years old
▪ Praetors
• 39 years old
▪ Consuls
• 42 years old
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Macedonicus: the boy became publius cornelius scipio aemilianus, eventually became publius cornelius scipio aemilianus africanus, roman women had only the nomen. Numantinus: the difficulty of distinguishing between women of the same family led to the use of various nicknames, some women had prominent public roles, needed a way to differentiate between them. Instituted two annually elected praetors as the chief magistrates: they held imperium, the power to command, also held the power of intercessio. Issued statements called senatus consulta: advised roman magistrates. In the early republic they had control of the laws: augurs. In charge of auspice and augury: had the power to delay or prohibit public business. The res gestae: res gestae divi augusti, the achievements of the deified augustus, authored by augustus, dates to 14 ce, found in rome, ancyra, antioch near pisidia and apollonia, written in latin and greek, two copies of each.
