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The Old Ways
• Rome was based on the
“ways of the fathers”
– discipline, strength,
loyalty
– “Gravitas” word to
describe having all the
virtues of a good Roman
– “Pater Familias” - power
belonged to the oldest
male
Roman Class System
• Plebians
– the common free
citizen
– very little power
• Patricians
– higher class citizens
– based on birth
– from the “fathers”
of Rome
• Plebian/Patrician
conflict
• SPQR- Senatus,
Populusque, Romanus
(“The Senate and The
People of Rome” )
• Twelve Tables- written
law code 451 BCE
THE TWELVE TABLES
(451-450 B.C.)
• This is the earliest attempt by the Romans to create a CODE OF LAW;
it is also the earliest (surviving) piece of literature coming from the
Romans. In the midst of a perennial struggle for legal and social
protection and civil rights between the privileged class (patricians) and
the common people (plebeians) a commission of ten men (Decemviri)
was appointed (ca. 455 B.C.) to draw up a code of law which would be
binding on both parties and which the magistrates (the 2 consuls)
would have to enforce impartially.
• The commission produced enough statutes (most of them were already
`customary law' anyway) to fill TEN TABLETS, but this attempt
seems not to have been entirely satisfactory--especially to the
plebeians. A second commission of ten was therefore appointed (450
B.C.) and two additional tablets were drawn up. The originals, said to
have been inscribed on bronze, were probably destroyed when the
Gauls sacked and burned Rome in the invasion of 387 B.C.
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V. 1 "A dreadfully deformed child shall be killed."
V. 7 A spendthrift is forbidden to exercise administration over his own goods.
VI. 2 Marriage by `usage' (usus): If a man and woman live together
continuously for a year, they are considered to be married; the woman legally
is treated as the man's daughter.
VIII. 1 "If any person has sung or composed against another person a SONG
(carmen) such as was causing slander or insult.... he shall be clubbed to death."
VIII. 2 "If a person has maimed another's limb, let there be retaliation in kind,
unless he agrees to make compensation with him."
VIII. 26 "No person shall hold meetings in the City at night."
IX. 3 "The penalty shall be capital punishment for a judge or arbiter legally
appointed who has been found guilty of receiving a bribe for giving a
decision."
http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/12tables.html
The Republic
• Balanced Government
• Consuls
– 2 officials
– Limited terms, usually 10 years
– Chosen by the Senate
• Senate - aristocracy (consistent)
• Assembly - all citizen soldiers
• Dictator- Times of crisis, for 6
months
– Part monarchy, aristocracy,
democracy
The First Triumvirate 60 BCE
• Julius Caesar
– Popular senator looking to gain
political power
• Pompey
– Military leader with an army,
wanted land in the east
• Crassus
– Wealthiest man in Rome, but
not a very popular senator
The Rise of Caesar
• Caesar throws parties with
Crassus money to gain
influence
• Elected consul by fellow
senators 59 BCE
• Gets governor position in
Gaul (France)
– Crassus dies in 53 BCE
– Pompey stands in Caesar’s
way
• Caesar - Dictator 44 BC
– Reforms and
contributions
• New calendar - Julian
• added colonies in
Europe
• Set up public work
projects
Bridge of Tiberius
Pont du Gard
No King on the Thrown of Rome!
• Senators want to
meet with Caesar
• March 15, 44 BCE
• Assassinated by
fellow senators
• “Et Tu Brute”
The Second Triumvirate
• Octavian
– Adopted son of Caesar, fought
Marc Antony then made peace
• Marc Antony
– Immediate ruler of Republic
• Lepidus
– Loyal general from Caesar’s
army
– Brokered the peace between
Octavian and Antony
Results of the Second Triumvirate
• Executed 4,700
opponents (disfavored
Julius Caesar)
• Gave land to all of
Caesar’s old soldiers
– displaces 18 entire
cities…just took their
homes and land
And then….
• Octavian slowly takes
Lepidus’ power after
battles in Sicily
• Marc Antony falls in love
with J. Lo…. actually,
Cleopatra.
• Octavian battles Marc
Antony at Actium (31
BCE)
• Octavian wins, Antony
and Cleopatra die
One umvirate
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Octavian is the sole ruler of Rome
Takes on the new title of Emperor
Takes on new name Caesar Augustus
Roman Republic is dead
The Roman Empire begins (27 BCE)