apocalypticism the belief that the coming of the Messiah was near. (p. 160)

augustus a title which became synonymous with emperor, it was given by Diocletian to a colleague along with the rule of the western part of the empire. (p. 179)






barbarians tribes of people who were not Grecco-Roman and who simply wanted to be left alone. (p. 157)

barracks emperors the name for the period of time in the middle of the 3rd century when many military commanders ruled. (p. 177)






catacombs huge public underground cemeteries found along Via Appia in Rome. (p. 164)

constitutional monarchy a monarchy in which the power of the ruler is restricted by the constitution and the laws of the nation. (p. 152)






dioceses small administrative units which were governed by a prefect responsible to an augustus. (p. 179)






five good emperors the name for the five emperors who ruled the empire wisely, fairly and humanely. They created a period of peace and prosperity. (p. 167)






Gentiles a term for non-Jews. Paul helped spread Christianity by not distinguishing between Jews and Gentiles. (p. 163)

gladiators criminals and convicts who were sentenced to be slaughtered in the arena as public entertainment. (p. 170)






imperator a title which was usually honored a general after a major victory, it came to mean "emperor." (p. 152)






Julio-Claudians members of the Julian and Claudian clans that for fifty years after Augustus’s death provided the emperors of Rome. (p. 166)






Messiah the savior of Israel. (p. 160)






Pagans refers to all those who believed in the Greco-Roman gods. (p. 161)

pax Romana a period during the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. of security, order, harmony, flourishing culture and expanding economy. (p. 151)

princeps a title meaning First Citizen, it later came to mean "prince" in the sense of a sovereign ruler. (p. 152)

provinces the rural colonies of the Roman civilization; they were often allowed to keep many of their local beliefs. (p. 172)






Tetrarchy a system by which four men rule the empire. (p. 179)






universalism the result of the combination of the two concepts - first, Jesus told his followers to spread his word throughout the world, thus making his teachings universal and second, the pagan Romans also considered their secular empire universal. (p. 164)






villa a country estate, which was the primary unit of organized political life. (p. 173)