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The Roman Republic
Romulus and Remus
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Roman legend
City founded in 753 BC
Twin sons of the god Mars
and a princess
They were abandoned on the
Tiber River as infants
Raised by a she-wolf
Built the city near the spot
where they had been rescued
This statue is the symbol of
Rome.
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Why do you think the myth of the twins
has endured for so long?
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It implies Rome was established by the
gods and would survive against all odds.
Geography
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Built on 7 rolling hills at
a curve on the Tiber
River (not a port)
Near center of the Italian
Peninsula
Midpoint of the
Mediterranean Sea
Advantage: central
location and fertile soil
Earliest settlers of Rome
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1. Latins (first Romans)
 1000-500 BC founded
original settlement of Rome
 Farmers and herders who
lived in huts on top of
Rome’s hills
2. Greeks
 750-600 BC established 50
colonies on coasts of
southern Italy & Sicily
 Taught Romans how to
grow grapes & olives;
columns; mosaics
 Roman gods, legends same
as Greeks, however w/
different names
Etruscans
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3. Etruscans
 Native to northern Italy
 Skilled metalworkers &
engineers
 Had a system of writing
but is not translatable
(adopted Greek alphabet)
 Introduced the use of the
arch
 Etruscan dress: the toga
and cloak
The Early Republic
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600 BC Etruscan kings began to rule Rome
Kings order the construction of Rome’s first
temples and public bldgs
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The Forum: heart of political life; originally a lowlying, marshland area which was later drained; used
as a marketplace and meeting place for the senate;
law courts, parades, banks, shops and civic center
The Forum
Forum Today
Rome’s last king
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In 509 BC, the harsh king, Tarquin the Proud
was overthrown by the wealthy Roman
aristocrats
Romans declared they would never be ruled by
a king again
Romans swore to put to death anyone who
plotted to make himself king!
The New Government
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Create a Republic
Means “public affairs” in Latin
 Form of government in which citizens elect their
leaders (representatives)
 Leader is not a monarch
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Groups struggle for power
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Patricians (Will make up the senate at first)
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Plebeians
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Aristocratic landowner who held most power
Inherited power & social status
Commoners, artisans, merchants
Majority of population
Had right to vote, but barred from holding important gov’t
positions
Tribunes
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Elected representatives that protected the rights of the
plebeians from unfair acts
Part of an assembly
Roman Law
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451 BC Rome’s first code of
laws were carved on 12
tablets & hung in Forum
The “Twelve Tables” became
the basis for later Roman law
Established the idea that all
free citizens had a right to
protection of the law
Citizenship is limited to adult
male landowners
Government under the Republic
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Consuls in place of kings
 Elected 2 officials
 Served for 1 year but can’t be
re-elected for 10 years
 Commanded army and directed
gov’t
 Could always overrule or veto
the other’s decisions
Senate (at right)
 300 members chosen for life
 Chosen from upper class
 Legislative & administrative
functions
 Makes foreign and domestic
policy
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Centuriate Assembly
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Tribal Assembly
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Citizen-soldiers are members for life
Less powerful than Senate
Appoint consuls, make laws
Elect tribunes & make laws (Plebeians)
Dictator
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Leader who had absolute power to make laws & command
army (in times of need)
Lasted for 6 months
Chosen by consuls & elected by Senate in time of crisis
The Roman Army
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All citizens who owned land
required to serve
10 yrs. of service required in
order to hold office
Legions
 Military units of 5,000
heavily armed infantry
 Cavalry supported each
legion
 Divided into smaller groups:
80 men = century
(Centurion at right)
 Strength is in their flexibility
 Military organization &
fighting skill were the key
factors to their rise
Roman Soldier
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Soldiers were road builders as well
as fighters.
Carried short stabbing sword
(gladius), a dagger (sica), heavy and
light javelins (pila), a helmet, a shirt
of chain mail, or later, armor made
of segmented plates, and a shield
(scutum). Under it all they wore a
tunic.
When on campaign, each soldier
carried all his own equipment, plus
tools, bedding, cooking pots, and
enough food for three days.
Rome Spreads its Power
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Rome Conquers Italy
1. Romans defeat Etruscans in north and Greek
city-states in south
2. By 265 BC Rome controls Italian peninsula
3. Conquered peoples treated justly; this enables
Rome to grow
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Put into 3 categories: citizens, citizens without
voting rights, and allies of Rome
Rome’s Commercial Network
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Rome establishes large trading network
Access to Mediterranean Sea provides many
trade routes
Carthage, powerful city-state in North Africa,
soon rivals Rome
Wars with Carthage
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Called Punic Wars (Punic
comes from the Latin
word for Phoencian)
1st-264-241 BC- Rome
defeats Carthage and gets
Sicily, Sardinia, and
Corsica
Punic Wars cont.
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2nd 218-202 BCHannibal (Carthaginian
general) avenges defeat;
Attacks Italy through
Spain and France;
doesn’t take Rome;
Scipio (Roman general)
attacks Carthage and
Hannibal returns to
defend homeland;
Hannibal is defeated.
Punic Wars cont.
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3rd-149-146 BC-Rome
destroys Carthage; enslaves
people in last war.
Rome’s victories in the Punic
Wars gave it domination over
the western Mediterranean.
By about 70 BC Rome’s
Mediterranean empire
stretched from Anatolia on
the east to Spain on the west.