CHAPTER 5—THE FIRST WORLD CIVILIZATION: ROME, CHINA, AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE SILK ROAD
1. Discuss the impact of geography upon the development of Roman civilization.
2. What factors caused the continuance and expansion of Roman imperialism? How did Roman expansion compare, and contrast, with that of the Assyrians, China's Han Dynasty and New Kingdom Egypt? What evidence causes you to think as you do?
3. Explain the importance of an extensive road network to both the Roman and Han empires; as part of your answer elucidate the sophistication the Romans and Han Chinese achieved in accomplishing this technological feat.
4. How did the status of women in Rome compare to that of Greek women in democratic Athens?
5. What are the most credible theories about the decline and fall of the Western Roman empire in the judgment of historians today?
6. Why were efforts such as those of the Gracchus brothers, Marius, and Julius Caesar unable to save the Roman Republic?
7. "No Roman was more important than Augustus." Discuss. Did the policies of Octavian give Rome a new and viable future? Cite examples to support your viewpoint.
8. What did the tenor of popular life in Rome, including the spectacle of gladiatorial shows, reveal about living conditions and popular value systems of the early Roman Empire?
9. What factors in the beliefs and social structure of the Roman Empire contributed to the rise of Christianity?
10. "Next to Augustus, Constantine was the most significant of all Roman emperors." Discuss
11. What role did Christianity play in the Late Roman Empire? Was it, in any real way, the cause of its fall? Might it have even prolonged the life of the Empire? Why or why not?
12. Using a map, describe the extent of the Han empire at its height during the 1st century BCE.
13. What were the varied uses of paper during the Han dynasty?
14. Explain what impacts the Xiongnu and the Germanic peoples had on the Han and Roman empires, respectively.
SHORT ANSWER
Instructions: Identify the following term(s).
15. the Apennines
16. Horatius at the bridge
17. Livy and Tacitus
18. Tiber River
19. Etruscans
20. Latium
21. Senate
22. consuls and praetors
23. centuriate and council of the Plebs
24. tribunes
25. patricians and plebeians
26. Carthage
27. Punic Wars and Hannibal
28. Cannae and Zama
29. latifundia
30. Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus
31. Marius
32. Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus
33. Antony and Cleopatra VII and the Battle of Actium
34. Octavian/Augustus
35. praetorian guard
36. Julio-Claudians
37. "the good emperors"
38. Pax Romana
39. Virgil's Aeneid
40. concrete
41. Twelve Tables
42. paterfamilias
43. Spartacus rebellion
44. "bread and circuses"
45. the Colosseum and gladiators
46. Pompeii and Vesuvius
47. Sassanid Persians and Germanic tribes
48. Diocletian and Constantine
49. Byzantium/Constantinople
50. Goths, Romulus Augustulus, Odoacer, and 476
51. Jupiter, Juno, Minerva, and Mars
52. mystery religions
53. Essenes and Zealots
54. Jesus of Nazareth
55. Paul of Tarsus
56. Edict of Milan
57. Han Dynasty
58. Liu Bang/Han Gaozu
59. State Confucianism and the civil service examination
60. Iron casting and paper
61. Silk Road
62. Wang Mang and the Xin dynasty
63. Cao Cao and The Romance of the Three Kingdoms
64. Mandate from Heaven
65. Son of heaven
66. Emperor Wendi
MULTIPLE CHOICE
67. Rome was
a.
located in the valley of Attica.
b.
located on the plain of Latium.
c.
in legend, defended by the extreme bravery of Horatius.
d.
an ally of Athens in the Peloponnesian War.
e.
founded by the Etruscans.
ANS: B REF: p. 113
68. Both the Greeks and the ____ had a major influence on the development of Rome.
a.
Sabines
b.
Etruscans
c.
Aequi
d.
Hoplites
e.
Carthaginians
ANS: B REF: p. 113-114
69. The government of Rome
a.
was originally established as a representative democracy.
b.
contained an element of republicanism from its beginnings.
c.
was originally a monarchy but later became a republic.
d.
was developed as a monarchy under the Celts.
e.
was ruled by the upper class plebeians.
ANS: C REF: p. 114
70. Early Roman legends and tales
a.
served no purpose beyond entertainment.
b.
were incorporated into Livy's historical accounts to teach moral values and virtues.
c.
closely resembled those of China during the Zhou Dynasty.
d.
owed nothing to Etruscan or Greek influences.
e.
disappeared when Rome was sacked by the Celts.
ANS: B REF: p. 114
71. A central aspect of early Roman conquest was that all conquered peoples
a.
immediately received Roman citizenship.
b.
could do business with Rome.
c.
could never intermarry with Romans.
d.
had an interest in the success of Rome, since they could improve their status by demonstrating their loyalty to their conquerors.
e.
were generally enslaved by Roman patricians.
ANS: D REF: p. 114
72. Roman imperialism was characterized by
a.
a desire to improve the economies of conquered peoples.
b.
unsuccessful diplomatic moves.
c.
pure accident and fate.
d.
diplomacy, strategic fortifications, road construction, and allied military support.
e.
the successful employment of the phalanx.
ANS: D REF: p. 114
73. The chief executive officers of the Roman Republic who were responsible for leading the Roman army into battle and administering the government were the
a.
consuls.
b.
praetors.
c.
senators.
d.
centuriates.
e.
tribunes.
ANS: A REF: p. 114
74. The defenders of the plebeians were known as the
a.
consuls.
b.
praetors.
c.
senators.
d.
centuriates.
e.
tribunes.
ANS: E REF: p. 116
75. The Roman Senate
a.
met, in sequence, on each of the seven hills of Rome.
b.
was composed of elected representatives chosen by the slaves.
c.
had 300 members who were chosen for life.
d.
was led by three tribunes and five praetors.
e.
was selected by the clientes.
ANS: C REF: p. 114
76. Which of the following is a true statement about the centuriate assembly?
a.
It prevented the Roman army from functioning in a political role.
b.
It had an organizational pattern that assured a majority for its poorest members.
c.
It had the responsibilities of electing the chief magistrates and passing legislation.
d.
It had the power of declaring war and peace.
e.
It was abolished during the Punic Wars.
ANS: C REF: p. 114-115
77. Members of the aristocratic governing class in Rome were known as the
a.
hoplites.
b.
Gracchi.
c.
Latins.
d.
patricians.
e.
plebs.
ANS: D REF: p. 115
78. The primary importance of roads in both the Roman and Han empires centered on
a.
trade
b.
communication with other empires
c.
troop movements
d.
migration and resettlement of minorities
e.
escape routes for urban populations after natural disasters
ANS: C REF: p. 116
79. The plebeians
a.
were less numerous than the patricians.
b.
could not be elected to governmental offices before 150 C.E.
c.
were less privileged and often poorer than the patricians.
d.
were barred from military roles.
e.
became slaves when they could not pay their debts.
ANS: C REF: p. 116
80. Prior to 133 BCE, the only credible rivals for Roman power in the Western Mediterranean region were the
a.
Greeks
b.
Etruscans
c.
Persians
d.
Carthaginians
ANS: D REF: p. 117
81. The First Punic War
a.
resulted from a Roman invasion of Spain.
b.
was waged between Carthage and Rome over control of the island of Sicily.
c.
was begun with an attack by Hannibal.
d.
discouraged the Romans from developing their naval power.
e.
was caused by a Macedonian assault on Sicily.
ANS: B REF: p. 117
82. The Second Punic War
a.
saw the eventual victory of Carthage.
b.
saw Hannibal invade Italy from Greece.
c.
won Spain for Rome and produced Roman control over the western Mediterranean.
d.
produced a great victory for the Romans over Hannibal at the battle of Cannae.
e.
all of the above
ANS: C REF: p. 117-118
83. The Third Punic War
a.
began with an unprovoked Carthaginian attack on Gaul.
b.
took place immediately after the end of the Second Punic War.
c.
resulted in Carthage being destroyed and its territory becoming a Roman province.
d.
saved North Africa from Roman influence.
e.
was caused by the assassination of Cato the Elder.
ANS: C REF: p. 118
84. The Romans became masters of the Mediterranean Sea by conquering the
a.
Greeks
b.
Etruscans
c.
Sicilians
d.
Carthaginians
e.
Sabines
ANS: D REF: p. 118
85. The major stages of Roman imperial expansion before 100 B.C.E. included
a.
the involvement and seizures of the Hellenistic kingdoms in the eastern Mediterranean.
b.
seizure of the Atlantic coastline of northwestern Africa to outflank Carthage.
c.
the defeat of the Gauls by Sulla and Pompey.
d.
only military, not economic considerations.
e.
revenge for the death of Cincinnatus at the hands of the Latins.
ANS: A REF: p. 118
86. The Roman general who began a new system of military recruitment that made soldiers loyal to their general and not the Senate, was
a.
Marius.
b.
Tiberius Gracchus.
c.
Crassus.
d.
Caesar.
e.
Pompey.
ANS: A REF: p. 118
87. The Roman general who returned from Spain as a military hero in 71 B.C.E. was
a.
Marius.
b.
Sulla.
c.
Caesar.
d.
Pompey.
e.
Cato.
ANS: D REF: p. 119
88. Julius Caesar's adopted son Octavian later changed his name to
a.
Marcus Antonius
b.
Tiberius
c.
Augustus
d.
Hadrian
e.
Pompeii
ANS: C REF: p. 119
89. Julius Caesar
a.
was a member of the plebeian class.
b.
defeated Octavian's army and obtained the titles of dictator, then dictator for life.
c.
saw the need for change and strengthened the Senate's power.
d.
was assassinated by a group of leading senators.
e.
all of the above
ANS: D REF: p. 119
90. Crassus was killed in battle, Caesar defeated Pompey and was later assassinated, Octavian defeated Antony, who committed suicide, and Octavian attained sole power and was named Augustus. As a result of the preceding, the traditional Roman Republic
a.
ended.
b.
was restored.
c.
increased senatorial power.
d.
eliminated the monarchy.
e.
became a dyarchy.
ANS: A REF: p. 119
91. Octavian
a.
was badly defeated by Antony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 B.C.E.
b.
gave up his military authority once he was given the title of Augustus in 27 B.C.E.
c.
established the praetorian guard to guard him and his successors.
d.
was officially installed as emperor in 21 B.C.E.
e.
was the biological brother of Julius Caesar.
ANS: C REF: p. 119
92. A development during the period of Julio-Claudian rule was that emperors
a.
increased the responsibilities that Augustus had given the senate.
b.
acted more openly as real rulers than as "first citizens of the state."
c.
had fewer opportunities to act in an arbitrary and corrupt way.
d.
lost power to the revitalized senate and assemblies.
e.
sincerely attempted to restore the Republic
ANS: B REF: p. 120
93. Under the reigns of the five "good emperors"
a.
the power of the senate increased.
b.
nearly a century of chaos consumed Rome.
c.
the range of responsibilities that were affected by the policies of the emperors increased.
d.
public works construction decreased.
e.
Rome gained control of the British Isles and the Arabian peninsula.
ANS: C REF: p. 120-121
94. As it prospered, the early Roman Empire
a.
saw trade and manufacturing become significantly more important than agriculture.
b.
eliminated the practice of slavery.
c.
required people in the entire empire to speak Latin.
d.
saw the supply of gold and silver coins decrease in the eastern part of the empire.
e.
saw the development of a large gap between rich and poor.
ANS: E REF: p. 122
95. Roman literature
a.
drew heavily from Etruscan models.
b.
was unusually resistant to external influences.
c.
was dominated by the preeminent prose of Virgil during the Augustan Age.
d.
reached it high point in the age of Augustus.
e.
was almost always oriented towards philosophical subject matter.
ANS: D REF: p. 122
96. The greatest epic poet of the Late Republic was
a.
Livy.
b.
Plautus.
c.
Catullus.
d.
Cicero.
e.
Virgil.
ANS: E REF: p. 122
97. Roman jurists were able to provide a systematic framework for Roman law because
a.
they came to assume that natural law, or universal law, was based upon reason.
b.
the Twelve Tables provided an enduring basis for legislation.
c.
the legal interpretation of the praetors maintained legal order.
d.
of the universality of the law of nations.
e.
of the influence of Plato and Aristotle.
ANS: A REF: p. 123
98. During the centuries of Roman history, from Republic to Empire, the paterfamilias' authority
a.
increased.
b.
decreased.
c.
fluctuated.
d.
remained the same.
e.
was eliminated entirely.
ANS: B REF: p. 123
99. Roman slaves
a.
rarely rebelled, due to the fair treatment they received.
b.
were never involved in agriculture but only in manufacturing enterprises.
c.
staged a number of massive rebellions, the largest led by Spartacus in 71 B.C.E.
d.
made up well over half the population of the empire.
e.
received their freedom as reward for the military assistance at the battle of Actium.
ANS: C REF: p. 124