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ROMAN REPUBLIC
Mrs. DelGrosso
Ms. West
PLEBEIANS
Plebeians were typically considered the
“common people”
 Men who farmed, traded, and made things for a
living
 About 95% of Romans were plebeians
 They could not be priests or government officials
and at first, had little voice in government affairs
 They were forced to serve in the army

PATRICIANS
Patricians were members of Rome’s noble
families
 Patricians created all laws and made all
decisions in government
 Controlled valuable land and had plebeians work
for them

REPUBLIC
A republic is a type of government where people
elect officials to govern
 Originally, the patricians had all of the power in
the government and elected one another for office

THE PLEBEIANS REVOLT
The plebeians decided to rebel against the
patricians
 They marched out of the city and camped on a
nearby hill
 The patricians needed the plebeians to work in
the city, so they finally gave them the rights they
deserved

PLEBEIANS PROTEST THE PATRICIANS

“Once upon a time, the different parts of the human body
were not all in agreement… and it seemed very unfair to
the other parts of the body that they should worry and
sweat away to look after the belly. After all, the belly just
sat there… doing nothing, enjoying all the nice things that
came along. So they hatched a plot. The hands weren’t
going to take food to the mouth; even if they did, the mouth
wasn’t going to accept it… They went into a sulk and
waited for the belly to cry for help. But while they waited,
one by one all the parts of the body got weaker and weaker.
The moral of the story? The belly too has a job to do. It has
to be fed, but it also does feeding of its own.” – Stories of
Rome by Livy (20 B.C.E.)
ADDITION OF TRIBUNES
After the plebeians’ revolt, the government
changed
 The patricians let the plebeians elect officials
called tribunes
 Tribunes could speak for the plebeians in the
Senate and with the Consuls to help them attain
rights
 Tribunes eventually gained power to veto, or
overrule actions by the Senate and other
government officials
 There were ten tribunes

CONSULS: EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Consuls commanded the army, were the most
powerful judges, and proposed new laws
 There were two consuls in the republic style
government: one patrician and one plebeian

SENATE: LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL
BRANCHES
Senators made laws, determined how Rome
would act toward other governments, controlled
money, and served as judges
 They served for life
 There were 300 people in the Senate: half
plebeians, half patricians

ASSEMBLY
The plebeians also created the Citizens’
Association
 All Roman citizens could be part of the assembly
 The Citizens’ Association could approve or reject
laws, nominate consuls, tribunes, and Senators

COUNCIL OF PLEBS
Plebeians could also elect a lawmaking body
called the Council of Plebs
 The Council of Plebs could make laws for
plebeians only

DOES THE POWER SEEM BALANCED TO
YOU?

Turn and talk to your partner to discuss why or
why not the power seems balanced and fair.
CHECKS AND BALANCES

By having three branches of government, people
could check in with one another to make sure one
group did not take too much power
THE TWELVE TABLES
The Twelve Tables were a set of laws for all
Roman citizens
 All free citizens had to be treated equally by
the legal system
 They were displayed in the Forum, which was
Rome’s marketplace


What does this remind you of?
PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS IN
YOUR NOTEBOOK!
1. Why was it important that the Twelve Tables
were displayed in the Forum?
 2. How are these laws similar to other
civilizations we have studied?
 3. How are these laws different from other
civilizations we have studied?
