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Rome:BirthoftheRepublic
GeographyofItaly
• CenteroftheMediterraneanbasin
• RomanscalleditMareNostrum,“OurSea”
• Mountainbarriers
• Alpsinthenorth
• ApenninerunningdownthelengthoftheItalianpeninsula
• Moderatelydivided
• TravelwasdifficultbutitofferedanaturalprotectionduringRome’searlydays
• Resources
• Richagriculturallandinthesouth
• Richdepositsofcopper,iron,andtininthenorth
• Largepopulationbase
TheOriginsoftheRomanState
PrehistoricRome
• Advantageoussite:sevendefensiblehillsattheTiberford
• Mixedburials:Latin,Sabine,andotherearlysettlers
• Rich,agriculturalterritoryinthecenterofItaly
TheEarlyState
• Earlyvillages,onceseparate,joinedtogetherandchosearex,orking
• TheheadsoftheoldLatinfamilies,thepatres,constitutedanadvisorybody,thesenatus(bodyof“old
men”orelders)
TheMythicalOriginsofRome
• MythicalfoundingofRomewas753BCEbyRome’sfirstkingRomulus–allegedlythesonofMars,
Romangodofwar
• AccordingtothismyththerewouldbesevenkingsofRomebeforethebirthoftheRepublic–thelast
threekingswereEtruscan
RulersofRome
• ReignofRomulus –753-716BCE
• NumaPompilius
–715-674BCE
• TulliusHostillius
–673-642BCE
• AnchusMarcius
–642-617BCE
• LuciusTarquiniusPriscus(Etruscan)
–616-579BCE
• ServiusTullius(Etruscan) –578-535BCE
• LuciusTarquiniusSuperbus(Etruscan)
–535-510BCE
• RomanRevolt/EstablishmentoftheRepublic
–509BCE
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TroyandItaly:Virgil’sAeneid
• Virgil’sAeneid–writtenbetween29and19BC
• AttempttotieRomanlegends–RomulusandEvander-withtheHomericepicsandGreek
legends
• AeneasandtheTrojans
• LegendarysonofVenus(Aphrodite)andtheTrojanAnchises
• EscapedthedestructionofTroyandmigratedtoItaly
• InItalyalliedhimselfwiththeLatinsandbecametheancestoroftheRomans
RapeoftheSabineWomen
• Romulus’citywassettledbyallmen
• TheSabineswereinvitedtoafestivalandencouragedtobringtheirsistersanddaughters
• Atagivensign,theRomans“snatched”(rapio)thewomenfortheirwives
• LatertheSabinesdeclaredwartogettheirwomenfolkback
• Thewomen,nowmothers,intervened,andthetwogroupsfoundedonestate
• ThismayexplainthedualLatin-Sabineoriginsoftheoriginalsettlement
Italyin750BCE
• Inthemid-8thcenturyBCEtheearlyRomansweresurroundedbymorepowerfulcultures
• GreekcoloniesspreadtheircultureandinfluenceinsouthernItaly
• TheCarthaginianswerethedominantnavalpower
• TheEtruscansruledinthenorthofItaly
• ItwouldbetheEtruscansthatwouldcometoruleRome,incorporatingthesmallcityintothegreater
kingdomofEtruriafromc.616-509BCE
TheEtruscans
• 900-500BCE–theEtruscansprosperedinnorthernItaly,alandcalledEtruia
• LikelyimmigratedfromtheEasternMediterranean
• CalledEtruscansbytheRomans,TyrrhenioibytheGreeks,calledthemselvestheRasenna
• LikeGreece,theEtruscansdevelopedindependent,fortifiedcity-states
• Smallconfederacieswouldform,intimeleadingtoakingdom
• TheEtruscanmilitarywouldcometodominatetheregion
• Bythe6thcenturyBCE,theEtruscanmilitaryhadconqueredmuchoftheItalianpeninsula,including
RomeandtheislandofCorsica
EtruscanReligion
• TheEtruscanswerepolytheisticbelievinginmanygods
• Believedinpredestination–thatone’sdestinywasalreadydetermined
• PriestsknownasAugursreadsignsinnatureandgavepropheciesonthefuture
• TheRomanswouldholdmanysimilarbeliefs
EtruscaninfluenceonRome
• Numerals
• Bloodsports(i.e.gladiators)
• BeliefinHadesandtheunderworldgods
• Augury(foretellingthefuturethroughtheappearanceofnaturalphenomena)
• Excessivesuperstition
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EtruscansexpelledfromRome
• AccordingtotheRomanHistorianLivy(c.59BCEtoc.17CE)thelastEtruscankingofRome,Tarquin
theProud,wasexpelledbyapopularrebellionin509BCE
• RebellionhadbeensparkedbytherapeofthenobleRomanwomanLucretiabytheking’ssonSextus
• LuciusJuniusBrutusledtherebellionandwasthefounderoftheRomanRepublic
• His(claimed)descendantDecimusJuniusBrutuswouldbethemostfamousofJuliusCaesar’sassassins
–anotherkinginthemaking
Reality
• Itismorelikelythattherewasaslowerbuildupoftensionsbetweenthewealthiestfamiliesandthe
kingswhomadeconcessionstothelowerclassesforapowerbase
• Thetensionsheightenedbecauseofeconomicdepression,politicaldecay,andEtruscannavallossesto
GreeksandCarthaginians
• Endofthemonarchymayhavebeenagradualprocessfrom525BCEto474BCE
PatriciansandPlebeians
• Fromitsbeginning,theRepublichadbeendividedbyclass–thetwomostimportantclasseswerethe
PatriciansandthePlebeians
• Patricians–elitewealthyfamiliesthatownedmostofthelandandmadeupthearistocracyofRome
• Theywouldcontroltherepublicthroughthesenateandwereprincipallyconcernedwithgaining
powerandwealth
• Plebeians–freebornbutoftenlandlessRomancitizensthatmadeupthemiddleandlowerclassesof
Romansociety
• Aftervariousreformsingovernmentplebeianscouldbecomeverywealthybutthiswasrare
• ThestruggleforpowerbetweenthesetwogroupswoulddefinetheRomanRepublicduringitsfirst
centuries
BirthoftheRomanRepublic
• AtthebirthoftheRepublictheRomanscreatedapoliticalsystemthatwasamixofamonarchical,
aristocratic,anddemocraticsystem
• TheRomansdidnotwantoneorevenafewmentomakeallthelaws
• TheRomansdecidedtobalancethepowerofthegovernmentbetweenthreebranches:
• TheExecutiveBranch–ConsulsandMagistrates
• TheLegislativeBranch–SenateandLegislativeAssemblies
• TheJudicialBranch–CouncilsandCourts
• Mostmodernwesterndemocraciesaresetupinthismanner
LegislativeBranch
AssemblyoftheCenturies(ComitiaCenturiataor"ArmyAssembly”)
• ProbablycreatedunderkingServiusformilitarypurposes
• Electedconsulsandotherhighermagistrates
• Acceptedorrejectedlegislationmadebymagistratesanddeclarationsofwar;ratifiedtreaties
AssemblyoftheTribes(ComitiaTributa)
• OpentoallRomancitizensandwasthedemocraticassemblyoftheRomanRepublic
• Itcouldpasslawsonbehalfofallthepeople
PlebeianCouncil(ConciliumPlebis)
• Madeupofonlyplebeians
• Elected10tribunes
• Passedplebiscita(plebiscites)whichhadtheforceoflaw
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Senate
• Undertheking,theSenatehadonlybeenanadvisorycommittee
• SlowlygainedmorepowerintheRepublicbecausethey:
– Becameapermanentpartofthegovernment
– Hadexperience
– Hadthedignityoftradition,sinceitexistedfromearliestRomanstate
• WereheadsoftheleadingpatricianfamiliesinRomeandappointedfirstbytheconsulsandlaterby
thecensors
• Controlledthestate’sfinances,exceptinwar
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Gaveofficialadvicetomagistrates
AnyproposalpassedbytheSenatecouldbevetoedbythePlebeianTribune–thoughhewouldneed
tobepresenttodothis
ADictatorcouldbeappointedbytheSenateduringanemergency
After202BCEtheSenatecouldrespondtoemergenciesbypassingthesenatusconsultumultimum
whichsuspendedcivilgovernment
ExecutiveBranch
• Consul–mostpowerfulpositionintheRepublic,therewerealwaystwo
• ElectedforjustoneyearbytheAssemblyoftheCenturies
• OnlypatricianscouldstandforconsulinitiallybutthischangedafterPlebeianReforms
• Eachconsulhadveto(Latin;“Iforbid”)powerovertheother–noonemanheldtoomuchpowerinthe
Republic
• ConsulssupervisedtheSenateandorderedtheRomanarmyduringwars
• ConsulswhowerepoorgeneralswereoftendisastrousfortheRepublic–thereforeitseemedsmartto
electgoodgeneralsasconsuls
• Consulshadmanyresponsibilitiesduringpeacetimewhichincludedadministrative,legislative,and
judicialroles
• Therewerehighlevelsofcorruptionatthistime–anyone,particularlyasenator,whosupportedan
individualinbecomingconsulcouldexpectfavors
• Mayors,citypolice,taxcollectors–allweremembersoftheexecutivebranchastheywerecharged
withexecutingpower
JudicialBranch
• Sixjudgeswereelectedeverytwoyears
• Decidedthepunishmentsthatcriminalswouldreceive
• Executivemagistratescouldincludeconsuls,praetors,censors,aediles,quaestors,tribunes,and
dictators
• Romanlawwasbasedonthetwelvetables,asignificantadvancementinthehistoryoftheRuleofLaw
TheTwelveTables
• AmajorconstitutionalachievementoftheearlyRomanRepublicwastheestablishmentoftheTwelve
Tables–lawswrittendownontwelvetabletsthatwouldapplytoallRomancitizens
• Thelawscoveredcivicmatters,crimes,andtherelationsamongcitizensandfamilymembers
• Mostimportantlythelawsconfirmedtherightofallfreecitizenstotheprotectionofthelaw
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TheEarlyRepublic
• ThegovernmentoftheearlyRomanRepublicwassetuptokeeppowerinthehandsofthePatricians
• OvertimereformswereneededtokeepthePlebeianscontent–theywouldoftenstrikewhenthey
werenotcontent,bringingRometoagrindinghaltastheymadeupthelaborforce
• Eventuallythiswouldleadto“TheStruggleofOrders”whichlastedfromabout494–287BCE
TheStruggleoftheOrders
• ThePatricianswerehighlyprivilegedandonecouldonlybebornintothisclasstoreapthebenefits
• Plebeianswantedchangeforavarietyofreasons:
– Wealthyplebeianswantedsocial,religious,andpoliticalequality
– “Middleclass”plebeianswerethebackboneofthearmy
– Poorplebeiansneededrelieffromdebt,particularlythepracticeofdebtslavery
PlebeianAdvances
• 494BCE:FirstSecessionofthePlebs,thePlebeianCouncilwasestablishedalongwiththeelectionof
Tribunes
• 450BCE:LawoftheTwelveTables
• 445BCE:patriciansandplebeianscouldintermarry
• 367BCE:plebeianscouldbeelectedConsul
• 342BCE:mandatorythatoneConsulwasaplebeian
• 339BCE:mandatorythatoneCensorwasaplebeian
• 300BCE:halfthepriesthoodmustbeplebeian
• 287BCE:LexHortensia–allplebiscitespassedbyPlebeianCouncilhadtheforceoflawthroughout
theRomanState
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