Ancient Rome Skill Builder
| # | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Roman Republic was a form of government in which citizens elected representatives to make decisions for the state. |
| 2 | Patricians were the wealthy, powerful upper-class families in Roman society. |
| 3 | Plebeians were the common people of Rome, including farmers, workers, and merchants. |
| 4 | The Senate was an important governing body made up mostly of wealthy and experienced men who advised leaders and influenced policy. |
| 5 | Consuls were the two highest elected officials who led the government and commanded the army for one year. |
| 6 | Limiting the term helped prevent one person from gaining too much power. |
| 7 | The Twelve Tables were Rome’s early written laws, which helped make the legal system more public and consistent. |
| 8 | Written laws made legal rules clearer and helped reduce unfair treatment based on memory or class privilege. |
| 9 | A tribune of the plebs was an elected official who protected the interests of the plebeians and could veto certain actions. |
| 10 | A veto is the power to reject or stop a decision or law. |
| 11 | Different offices had different powers, so no single group or person could control the entire government. |
| 12 | The assemblies allowed citizens to vote on laws, elections, and some government decisions. |
| 13 | It was not a full democracy because political power was limited by class, wealth, and social status. |
| 14 | Roman citizenship gave people legal rights and some political participation, such as voting in assemblies. |
| 15 | The cursus honorum was the traditional sequence of public offices that Roman politicians followed to advance in their careers. |
| 16 | Wealthy families had more education, influence, and access to the offices needed for political power. |
| 17 | It addressed the struggle between patricians and plebeians over political rights and legal equality. |
| 18 | Tribunes gave plebeians official representation and protection against unfair decisions by patrician leaders. |
| 19 | It lasted because it had flexible institutions that balanced power and adapted over time. |
| 20 | Military success increased the power and prestige of leaders, which affected elections, politics, and public support. |
| 21 | Consuls carried out executive duties, the Senate influenced legislation and policy, assemblies voted on some laws, and courts handled legal disputes. |
| 22 | It officially advised leaders, but in practice its influence over finance, foreign policy, and state direction made it very powerful. |
| 23 | Upper-class citizens had far more access to office, influence, and decision-making than lower-class citizens. |
| 24 | Two consuls reduced the chance of dictatorship by requiring shared leadership and mutual oversight. |
| 25 | They influenced later governments because they introduced ideas such as written law, representative offices, and checks on power. |
| 26 | Rule of law means that laws apply to everyone and are not based only on personal power; Rome contributed by making laws public and formal. |
| 27 | It used short terms of office, shared power, vetoes, and multiple institutions to limit any one person’s authority. |
| 28 | A major weakness was that it depended heavily on social inequality and excluded many people from equal power. |
| 29 | Expansion brought more wealth, land, and military power, which increased corruption, inequality, and competition among leaders. |
| 30 | They could use loyal armies and battlefield success to gain personal power instead of serving the republic. |
| 31 | The Senate had greater long-term influence and was dominated by elites, while the assemblies allowed citizen voting but had less control over daily policy. |
| 32 | They were elected to speak for and protect a specific group of citizens, which is a form of representation. |
| 33 | Citizens had legal protections and voting rights, but they were also expected to serve the state, including military service. |
| 34 | It is studied because it developed institutions that tried to balance liberty, participation, and limits on power. |
| 35 | Romans designed offices and rules to avoid concentrating power in one ruler, since they had overthrown kings earlier in their history. |
| 36 | Tradition gave stability and legitimacy to offices, laws, and ceremonies, even when political conflicts changed over time. |
| 37 | It was democratic because citizens voted and elected officials, but undemocratic because power was restricted by class and not all people had equal rights. |
| 38 | Elite families controlled education, office-holding, networks, and the Senate, which helped them keep political power across generations. |
| 39 | Modern governments can learn that unequal power, weak political norms, and ambitious military leaders can threaten republican government. |
| 40 | Two lasting ideas are written law and checks on power. Written law matters because it creates fairness and predictability, and checks on power matter because they help prevent abuse by leaders. |