Download THE ROMAN REPUBLIC

THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
1) What similarities and differences exist between the government of the United
States and the Roman Republic? List at least five for each.
SIMILARITIES
 Both are republics
 Both have branches of
government with set
responsibilities and a system of
checks and balances
 Both have an executive branch
that serves as commander-inchief of the army and chief
executive of the government
 Both have a legal code that
serves as the basis of their legal
system and government
 The “high” part of the legislative
DIFFERENCES
 Women can be citizens in the
United States, only males could
be citizens in the Roman Republic
 Two consuls served as executives
in the Roman Republic, while the
United States has only one
president
 The legislative branch in the
Roman Republic has three
houses, versus only two in the
United States
 In the Roman Republic, six of the
“praetors”, or judges, governed
branch in both governments is
provinces. In the United States,
called the Senate
the Supreme Court is made of
nine judges that hear civil and
criminal appeals cases.
 In the United States, social class
does not determine political
status. In the Roman republic,
citizens needed to be a member
of the aristocracy to be in the
Senate.
2) Who were plebeians and patricians? What kinds of rights did they have?
DESCRIPTION
PLEBEIANS
RIGHTS
- common farmers,
- citizens of Rome who
merchants, and artisans
held right to vote; able to
that made up the majority form their own assembly
PATRICIANS
of the population
and elect tribunes
- wealthy landowners
- had most of power and
that held most of the
social status; could hold
power
high political office; had
authority to make laws
3) How did Rome expand? List 5 ways.
a) Defeated Etruscans and Greek city-states militarily to take over all of
Italy
b) Used a variety of strategies to integrate conquered people into Rome,
allowing neighboring people to become citizens of Rome and labeling other
conquered people as allies of Rome, who the government would not interfere
with. This kept conquered people on Rome’s side.
c) Rome’s location gave it easy access to the Mediterranean Sea. This
made it easy to expand over water.
d) Roman merchants spread Roman goods over a wide area. This gave
them economic power over many other civilizations.
e) The Punic Wars gave Rome dominance over the western
Mediterranean, as Rome was able to take over Carthage’s land.
4) Fill in the following table on the Punic Wars.
IMPORTANT
WHAT HAPPENED?
WHO WON?
FIGURES
FIRST PUNIC
WAR
- Rome and Carthage
NONE LISTED
(264-241
PUNIC WAR
battled over control of Sicily
and the Western
BCE)
SECOND
Rome
Mediterranean
- Hannibal
- Hannibal of Carthage
- Scipio
attacked Rome using a
(218-202
route through Spain and
BCE)
France. Hannibal is not
Rome
defeated until Scipio leads
Rome on an attack of
Carthage. Hannibal must
defend his city and is
defeated.
THIRD PUNIC
WAR
- Rome attacks Carthage
NONE LISTED
and attempts to destroy the
(149-146
city. In 146 BCE, Rome sets
BCE)
Carthage on fire and sells its
citizens into slavery.
Rome