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1.3
Republican
Government
plebeians were allowed to elect their own
representatives, called tribunes , who fought
to protect the rights of ordinary citizens.
killed. In 509 b.c., the people of Rome
Roman goveRnmenT
overthrew Tarquin and established a
Rome’s new, more representative
government furthered the development
of democratic principles first introduced
in the Greek city-state of Athens. The
government contained three branches. An
executive branch led the government and
the army, a legislative branch made the
laws, and a judicial branch applied the laws.
You wouldn’t have wanted
to meet the Etruscan king
Tarquin the Proud in a dark
alley. He ruled as a tyrant—a cruel
new form of government.
main iDea
Rome developed a republican form of
government that protected the rights of
ordinary citizens.
The Young Republic
In a republic , citizens vote for their leaders.
Only free adult men were citizens in Rome,
but not all citizens were equal. Roman
society was divided into two groups: the
patricians and the plebeians. The patricians
(puh-TRIH-shuhnz) were wealthy
landowners. The plebeians (plih-BEE-uhnz),
who included poorer farmers and craftsmen,
made up the majority of Rome’s citizens but
were under-represented in the government.
The plebeians wanted a say in how Rome
was run. As a result, in 494 b.c., they went on
strike. The plebeians left the city, shutting
down Roman shops and businesses, and set
up their own government. Economic activity
came to a halt. Once the patricians started
losing money, they became frightened and
agreed to share their power. In time, the
The artist tries to show that
Cicero has been talking for a
long time. The other senators
in the painting seem restless
and bored.
The Romans put in place a system of checks
and balances, similar to that used in the
United States, to prevent any one branch
from becoming too powerful. They also
replaced the position of king with two
leaders called consuls . The consuls shared
power so equally that they had the right
to veto , or reject, each other’s decisions.
The legislative branch was made up of the
Senate, elected judicial officers, and
two assemblies. The Senate advised the
consuls. The assemblies represented
the plebeians. In the beginning, most of
the 300 members of the Senate were
patricians. Over time, however, plebeians
were also allowed to participate.
Senators often spoke out about issues in
the Senate House and in public squares.
One of Rome’s most brilliant speakers
was Cicero (SIH-suh-roh), who often
used his speeches to attack those who he
believed were a threat to the republic.
In times of crisis, the Romans appointed
dictators who had complete control but
were expected to give up power after danger
had passed. One such Roman dictator
was Cincinnatus (sihn-suh-NA-tuhs). In
458 b.c., Rome’s army was facing defeat
by a fierce enemy, and the Senate wanted
STANDARDS NGSSS: SS.6.C.1.2 Identify how the
government of the Roman Republic
contributed to the development of
democratic principles (separation of powers,
rule of law, representative government,
civic duty). SS.6.C.2.1 Identify principles
(civic participation, role of government)
from ancient Greek and Roman civilizations
which are reflected in the American
political process today, and discuss their
effect on the American political process.
SS.6.W.3.8 Determine the impact
of significant figures associated with
ancient Rome. SS.6.W.3.10 Describe the
government of the Roman Republic and
its contribution to the development of
democratic principles (separation of powers,
rule of law, representative government, civic
duty). SS.6.W.3.16 Compare life in the
Roman Republic for patricians, plebeians,
women, children, and slaves.
LAFS: LAFS.68.RH.2.5 Describe how a
text presents information (e.g., sequentially,
comparatively, causally); LAFS.68.
RH.3.7 Integrate visual information (e.g.,
in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or
maps) with other information in print and
digital texts; LAFS.68.WHST.2.4 Produce
clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Cincinnatus to take charge. He accepted
the dictatorship, defeated the enemy, and
then surrendered his power and returned
to his farm. The example set by Cincinnatus
was celebrated by the Romans, who valued
the idea of civic duty—putting service to
the community ahead of personal interest.
ReView & assess
1. Reading CheCk How did
the Roman government come
to protect the rights of the
citizens?
2. COMPaRe and COntRast In
what ways are the governments
of the Roman Republic and the
United States similar?
3. dRaw COnClusiOns Why
was it important to the
plebeians to have Roman
laws written down?
The Roman Republic 275
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Critical Viewing In this painting,
cicero delivers a speech before the
Senate. What qualities does the artist
try to convey in his portrayal of cicero?
Cicero Denounces Catiline, Cesare Maccari, 1888
ruler—and had many of his opponents
The plebeians had one more demand.
Because Rome’s laws were not written
down, the patricians often interpreted them
to favor their rich friends. The plebeians
fought back. They insisted that the laws
be not only written down but carved
into bronze tablets and displayed for all
to see. These laws became known as the
Twelve Tables. They protected all Roman
citizens from injustice. Some of these laws
are the basis of our own laws today.
POSSIBLE RESPONSE
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275
PLAN
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OBJECTIVE
BACKGROUND FOR THE TEACHER
Describe the government of the Roman Republic and
explain how it protected citizens’ rights.
Marcus Tullius Cicero was born in 106 b.c. in Latium. He
was a famous Roman lawyer, scholar, writer, and orator
who devoted himself to upholding the principles of the
Roman Republic during the civil wars that ultimately
destroyed it. Appointed as consul in 63 b.c., Cicero
gave many famous speeches designed to preserve the
republic and expose what he viewed to be dangerous
civil uprisings. His efforts to achieve equality among
Rome’s social classes earned him the title of “father
of his country” by some. He died in 43 b.c., leaving
behind numerous writings including hundreds of letters,
speeches, books, and works of philosophy and politics.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How did Rome become a mighty power in the
Mediterranean?
The Romans created a republic with three branches of
government and written laws. Lesson 1.3 discusses how
the republic protected the rights of ordinary citizens and
prevented any one group from becoming too powerful.
DIGITAL RESOURCES myNGconnect.com
STUDENT RESOURCES
TEACHER RESOURCES & ASSESSMENT
Reading and
Note-Taking
Vocabulary
Practice
Section 1
Quiz
Biography
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CHAPTER 10 THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
Provide students with a soft ball or small beanbag that can be safely tossed.
Ask students to think of the branches of the U.S. government. Toss the ball
or beanbag to a student and ask him or her to name one of the branches.
If the student cannot, he or she can toss the ball or beanbag to someone
else. Repeat the tossing and telling throughout the classroom until all three
branches have been named. Then tell students they will learn how the
Romans developed these three branches of government. 0:05 minutes
On Your Feet: Plebeians versus Patricians Divide the class into two
groups: plebeians and patricians. Provide each group with a large sheet of
paper, and ask them to imagine it is 495 b.c. Have the groups create a list
of their sentiments about the current state of Roman society, including
what they like, dislike, fear, and would like to change or keep the same.
After ten minutes, ask each group to share their concerns. You may wish
to facilitate a debate or dialogue between the groups by asking questions
such as, “Patricians, how do you feel about the fact that Rome’s laws are
not currently written down?” “Plebeians, there are more of you in Rome
than patricians, but you are under-represented in the government. Are you
satisfied with this arrangement?” 0:20 minutes
TEACH
DIFFERENTIATE
GUIDED DISCUSSION
STRIVING READERS
1. Make Generalizations Were the demands of the Roman plebeians and
the way they went about having their demands met reasonable and/
or successful? (Possible response: Yes, their demands were reasonable and
successful. The plebeians just wanted to have equal rights to the patricians,
and they proved they had a powerful voice in society. There were more
plebeians than patricians, and the plebeians provided most of the goods
and services to the patricians. When the plebeians closed their shops and
businesses, the patricians were forced to listen to their demands.) How
did the plebeian demand for written laws benefit all Romans? (Having
permanent, public laws protected Roman citizens from having laws be
interpreted in different ways that benefitted only the friends of powerful
people.)
Analyze Visuals Have students study the painting of Cicero giving a
speech before the Roman Senate. In pairs, have students make a list of
observations about the Roman Senate based on what they see in the
painting. Encourage students to compare the layout of the Roman Senate
to the United States Senate, providing photographs of the latter, if needed.
INTRODUCE & ENGAGE
TOSS AND TELL
2. Draw Conclusions As shown through Cincinnatus’s actions, the
Romans valued setting aside personal interests to benefit the
community. Do you believe politicians and leaders today are willing
to set aside their personal goals, wealth, or interests to benefit their
country or community? Why or why not? (Responses will vary. Students
should be encouraged to defend their views using examples.)
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
ASK: How does the structure of the U.S. government compare to the
structure of the representative government of Rome? As a group, work to
make two diagrams on large sheets of paper or a whiteboard. One diagram
should show the structure of Rome’s representative government, and the
other should show the structure of the U.S. government. Include the three
branches in both, but be sure to acknowledge and draw students’ attention
to distinguishing features, such as having two Roman consuls versus having
one American president. 0:20 minutes
ACTIVE OPTIONS
Active History: Compare Greek and Roman Governments Extend the
lesson by using either the PDF or Whiteboard version of the Compare
Greek and Roman Governments Active History activity. These activities
take a deeper look at a topic from or related to the lesson. Explore the
Active History activities as a class, turn them into group assignments, or
even assign them individually. 0:15 minutes
GIFTED & TALENTED
Become an Orator Many consider Cicero to be the greatest speaker that
ever lived. Even Julius Caesar acknowledged that Cicero’s achievements in
learning and sharing knowledge were greater than his own expansion of
the Roman Republic. Provide students with topics to speak about, or invite
them to select their own. Brainstorm qualities that make a good speech
and a successful orator. Remind students that speeches should have a clear
theme and details that support the main idea. Guide students to write a
short speech of 3–5 minutes and present it to their peers. As an added
extension, consider studying one of Cicero’s famous speeches.
Press in the Student eEdition for modified text.
See the Chapter Planner for more strategies for differentiation.
REVIEW & ASSESS
ANSWERS
1. It wrote all laws down on bronze tablets so everyone could see
them and not misinterpret them.
2. Both governments have three branches—legislative, executive,
and judicial; both have written laws.
3. It was important because the plebeians wanted the laws to be
applied equally. They didn’t want the patricians to get away with
interpreting the laws in different ways that favored themselves.
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