Download Diagramming the Roman Republic The Early Republic Directions

Diagramming the Roman Republic
The Early Republic
Democracy:
Direct Democracy (
):
Directions: Use the reading to answer the questions below.
Around 600 B.C., an Etruscan became king of Rome. In the decades that
followed, Rome grew from a collection of hilltop villages to a city that
covered nearly 500 square miles. The last king of Rome was Tarquin the
Proud. A harsh tyrant, he was driven from power in 509 B.C. The
Romans declared they would never again be ruled by a king. Instead,
they established a republic. A republic is a form of democracy where
citizens vote on representatives. These representatives go to the capital
and vote on laws for the citizens they represent. In Rome, citizenship
with voting rights was granted only to free-born male citizens.
Patricians and Plebeians
In the early republic, different groups of Romans struggled for power. One group was the patricians, the
wealthy landowners, who held most of the power. The other important group was the plebeians, the common
farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the population. Both patricians and plebeians had
the right to vote, however plebeians were barred from holding most important government positions.
1. Because of the harsh Etruscan rulers, Rome said they would never again…
2. What is a Republic?
3. Who was a considered a citizen in Rome?
4. What is the difference between a Republic and a Direct Democracy?
5. What is a Patrician?
6. What is a Plebeian?
The Twelve Tables
An important victory for plebeians was to force the creation of written
law code. With laws unwritten, patrician officials often interpreted the
law to suit themselves. In 451 B.C., a group of ten officials began
writing down Rome’s laws. The laws were carved on twelve tablets, or
tables, and hung in the Forum (Rome’s political center). They became
the basis for later Roman law. The Twelve Tables established the idea
that all free citizens had a right to the protection of the law.
These laws talked about property, crime, family, theft, marriage and
inheritance. The main benefit of having laws written down was that the
lawmakers and law-enforcers couldn’t change them to suit their whims.
Once a law was made public (and carving it into stone was about as
public as it got), the law was known to everyone. Each law applied to
every Roman citizen, rich (patrician) or poor (plebeian).
Twelve Table Questions:
What were the Twelve
Tables?
What did they deal with?
Why were they
necessary?
The Roman Republic
Directions: Use the diagram to fill out the questions below.
Consuls
2 Rulers
Job Duties: Running military
and government
Term limit: 1 year
*Can’t run again for 10 years.
Senate
Made up of this class:
Patricians
Job Duties: Make laws,
control money
Term limit: Elected for life
Centuriate Assembly
Made up of: Citizen-soldiers
Job Duties: Select consuls,
make laws
Term limit: Elected for life
Tribal Assembly
Made up of: Plebeians
Job Duties: Make laws (only for
Plebeians)
Term limit: Elected for life
** Tribal Assembly did not exist
in the beginning of Republic
1. How many Consuls are there? What do they control?
2. Why do you think they only let them serve for 1 year?
3. Why would the Senate be considered the most powerful part of the Republic?
4. What class of people are allowed to be Senators?
5. Which branch represents the poor, working class?
6. Which branch selects the consuls? Why do you think they gave them this power?
7. Which branch did not exist in the beginning of the Republic? Why do you think Rome created it?
Times of Crisis
Realizing that a government of many representatives and branches can often lead to long debates and battles
over difficult decisions, Rome made plans for what to do in an emergency where decisions would have to be
made quickly. This plan called for the consuls and senate to elect a dictator (a leader with all the power).
Fearing that dictator would not give up power once the crisis was over, the plan called for a dictator’s power to
only last six months – they would then have to give power back to the Republic.
Why did Rome go against its fear of one ruler?
When can a Dictator be used? For How Long?