Unit 2
New Directions in Government and Society, 2000 B.C.-A.D. 700
Chapter 6-Ancient Rome and Early Christianity, 500 B.C.-A.D. 500
1. Define the following terms and briefly explain their connection to ancient Rome and
early Christianity from 500 B.C. thru A.D. 500.
a. republic
j. apostle
b. patrician
k. diaspora
c. plebian
l. bishop
d. tribune
m. pope
e. consul
n. inflation
f. senate
o. mercenary
g. dictator
p. aqueduct
h. legion
q. Greco-Roman culture
i. triumvirate
2. Identify the 12 Tablets and list two advantages
of writing down laws.
3. How did the Romans treat conquered people?
Why do you think they gave citizenship to these
people living close to Rome?
4. Identify Carthage and explain why it rivaled
Rome for commercial power in the
Mediterranean.
5. Identify Julius Caesar and explain how and why
he came to power.
6. List four reforms made by Caesar once he
assumed absolute power in Rome.
7. Identify Augustus and explain what he did to strengthen the power of Rome.
8. Define the Pax Romana.
9. Describe the role slaves played in Roman society.
10. List three factors that led to the fall of the Roman Empire.
11. Give two reasons the followers of Jesus
believed that he was the Messiah.
12. How Jesus’ teachings at odds with
Roman values and religious ideas?
13. Why was the apostle Paul so important
to the spread of Christianity?
14. Why do you think Christian persecution
rose as the Pax Romana crumbled?
15. Why were citizens within the Roman
Empire so drawn to Christianity?
16. Identify Constantine and explain why he
made Christianity the official religion of the empire.
17. What did the Edict of Milan do?
18. Identify Augustine and how explain how he influenced early Christianity?
19. What was the importance of the Nicene Creed?
20. Identify Diocletian and explain two reforms he implemented to save the empire.
Why did the empire continue to fail despite his reforms?
21. Why did Constantine choose the
location of Byzantium for his new
capital?
22. Why did so many Germanic tribes
begin invading the Roman Empire
and why was the western part of the
empire unable to stop it?
23. Identify Attila the Hun and explain
his impact on the Roman Empire in
the 5th century.