Download Pfingsten-5-Rise of Roman Republic

Jessica Whittemore – Rise of the Roman Republic: Summary of Events
This lesson explains the rise of the Roman Republic after the expulsion of the Etruscan kings. It
cites location, military strategy, and a well-formed political structure as reasons for the
Republic's rise.
Birth of the Republic
It's pretty safe to say most people know a little bit about Roman history. I'm guessing most of us
can even name an emperor or two. The problem is that's all most of us are familiar with, Rome's
imperial period. Very few have knowledge of Rome as a republic. Today we're going to remedy
this by giving the Roman Republic its place in the sun.
To begin, when Lucius Junius Brutus led the Romans in the 509 BCE revolt against the very
oppressive Etruscan monarchs, the Romans were finally free from rule by a king or an emperor.
Tradition tells us that Brutus, who perhaps could be compared to our American revolutionaries,
so hated the Etruscan kings that he had the people of Rome swear to never again allow any man
to rule as king of Rome. With this at the forefront of their decision making, Brutus and the
Romans established a republic, a system of government in which citizens choose representatives
to govern on their behalf.
Now that we have a bit about the Republic's origin under our belt, let's take a look at three things
that made its rise not only possible, but extremely successful. They are its location, its military
strategy, and its well-formed political structure.
Location
Starting with location, central Italy was ideal for the Republic's rise. With the Alps as a natural
protective wall to the north, and surrounded by seas in all other directions, the area lent itself to
natural defense. Controlling almost all of the Italian Peninsula by around 290 BCE, the protected
land mass became home base for the Republic's expanding conquests. It also allowed the
Republic, after some intense skirmishes with the Carthaginians of north Africa, to dominate the
Mediterranean Sea. This brought trade and wealth to its lands. Before Rome became an empire in
27 BCE, the Republic included places like the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, Greece, and even
modern day France.
Military Strategy
With this list of conquered lands, we hit reason number two for the Republic's rise and success,
its military strategy. Although the Roman military was definitely a force to be reckoned with, it
was not just brute force that caused its rise to power. It was its strategy of appeasement, or in
other words, the Republic's ability to keep its conquered lands happy.
Unlike many invading forces, when the Republic conquered a land, it respected and upheld the
traditions and cultures of the conquered people. In doing this, they saw fewer costly revolts and
less strain on their military.
With this strategy of appeasement, the conquering Republic also brought a better quality of life.
Once an area was assimilated into the Republic, it was protected by the Republic and no longer as
susceptible to marauding raiders. With this protection, the Republic also brought an improved
infrastructure, a strong currency, and access to many more affordable goods and services. With
all these positives, the Republic was able to keep its new constituents under control. Yes, they did
have to give up some freedoms. Yes, they put up an initial fight. But in the end, many were
appeased by their improved standard of living. With this set up, the Republic continued to rise in
power.
Jessica Whittemore – Rise of the Roman Republic: Summary of Events
Political Structure
This brings us to the last reason for its rise, its well-formed political structure. To help cement
this in our minds, we're going to compare and contrast it to the United States government.
Unlike in the American system, the natural born inhabitants of the Republic, who were not slaves,
were officially broken into two main groups, and mobility between the classes did not occur. The
two classes were the patricians, members of the upper class, including the nobility and wealthy
landowners, and the plebeians, or the common people of Rome. If a man was a patrician, he
could hold the highest position in government known as Consul. Since this position oversaw the
workings of the government and its officials, while also being the commander of the army outside
the city of Rome, we can compare it to the U.S. executive branch.
The consuls were elected from the Senate, a group of 300 patricians who were, in essence, the
law makers of Rome. They made decisions on spending, while also controlling taxation and
relationships with foreign powers. Again, we can loosely compare the Roman Senate to the
legislative branch of the American government.
The last governing body of the Roman Republic was the Assembly. The Assembly allowed
plebeians, or common citizens, into its membership. Although the assembly didn't start out with
much power, it definitely gained it as the Republic aged. From this body came the Roman
Tribune, a position of power which gave its holder the right to intervene on legal matters and veto
legislation. For this reason, we'll link them to the American judicial branch.
Like any form of government, the political structure of the Republic had its ups and downs, but
what made it so strong was the fact that it did not rise and fall with one man. For instance, when a
king died, all chaos could ensue. However, when a consul, senator, or tribune died, the Republic
could withstand such loss. In other words, it was much like how the American system is supposed
to work. It is the position, not the person, who held true power.
Lesson Summary
Upon freeing themselves from the conquering Etruscans of the north, the Romans formed a
republic, or a system of government in which citizens choose representatives to govern on their
behalf.
Founded by Lucius Junius Brutus and his fellow Romans, the Republic rose to the heights of
power, expanding its territory to encompass all the Italian Peninsula, and places like the Iberian
Peninsula, north Africa, Greece, and even modern day France.
Although the brute force of the Republic was formidable, there are three other reasons which led
to its rise. First, the Republic was protected by the Alps to the North and the seas in all other
directions. These natural boundaries made it easy to defend.
Second, the Republic had excellent military strategy. Upon conquering a land, they would respect
the cultures and traditions of the land. Add to this the improved standard of living they brought
with them, and you can see why the Republic was very good at appeasing its newly conquered
constituents.
Last, the Republic had a well-formed political structure. Although this system was rife with social
inequality, it placed power into the many hands of those elected by the people, instead of into the
hands of one single, mortal man.