Ancient Rome Vocabulary
1. Aqueduct- A structure that carries water over long distances. Romans were famous for
these structures. They were huge lines of arches, sometimes many miles long that carried
the water from countryside to the cities.
2. Circus- An arena where shows were held. The shows were also called circuses. Circuses
could be violent. They could include animal or human fighting, gladiator fights or even
public execution of criminals. They could also include clowns, as in today’s circuses.
3. Consuls- Men who led the government in the early Roman Republic. There were 2 consuls.
They ruled for one year only and were advised by the senate on government matters such
as foreign affairs, laws and finances. Both consuls had to agree in order to take any action.
if one did not agree and vetoed, the issue was dropped.
4. Dictator- A person appointed to handle an emergency who had all the powers of a king.
Dictators could only hold office for 6 months.
5. Disciple- A follower of a person or belief. In Ancient Rome, Jesus had disciples who told
stories about his life and teachings.
6. Latin- The language of the Ancient Romans that gave rise to the French, Italian, Spanish,
Portuguese, and Romanian languages and contributed many words to the English language.
7. Martyr- A person who chooses to die for a cause he or she believes in.
8. Messiah- A savior. This term usually refers to Jewish and Christian religions.
9. Patrician- Upper-class, wealthy men in the Ancient Roman Republic. The Senate in the
early Roman Republic was made up of 300 patricians.
10. Pax Romana- The “Roman Peace.” A general term referring to roughly 200 years of Roman
peace and prosperity from about 27 BC to 180 AD.
11. Plebian- Ordinary citizens in the early Roman Republic. Plebeians could not hold office or
be senators.
12. Province- The Roman Empire was divided into regions/units called provinces. Each
province had a Roman governor and an army.
13. Republic- A new form of government where citizens have the right to select their leaders
and the leaders rule in the name of the people. The Republic was formed when the Romans
decided to no longer trust kings.
14. Senate- A council of 300 important citizens whose task was to advise the consuls during the
Roman Republic, but who in fact, practically ruled Rome during most of this period.
15. Veto- The word meant “I forbid it” and was used by the consul when he did not agree with
the action/law under discussion. The issue was dropped if a consul said “veto.” Today, the
word means the rejection of a bill by the President.