Download WHI: SOL 6c

WHI: SOL 6c
Political Set-up of Ancient Rome
Birth of a Republic
• Rome began in 509 b.c.e
• Established a republic “that which belongs to
the people”
• People chose some of the officials
• Meant to prevent any individual from gaining
too much power
Features of the Roman Republic
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Representative democracy
Assemblies
Senate
Consuls
Tribunes
Laws of Rome codified as Twelve Tables
Political Set-up (Senate)
• Senate made the laws and controlled the
government
• 300 members
• All patricians (at first)
Political Set-up (Consuls)
• Each year, senate chose two consuls
(patricians) who commanded the armies and
supervised the business of the government
• Could only serve one term
• Had to approve each other’s decisions
Political Set-up (Assemblies)
• Assemblies were used to vote on legislative,
electoral, and judicial matters.
• A gathering that was deemed to represent the
entire Roman people.
• Conventions were simply forums where
Romans met for unofficial purposes, for
example, to hear a political speech.
• Voters always assembled first into
Conventions to hear debates and conduct
other business and then into Assemblies to
actually vote.
Political Set-up (Tribunes)
• In time, plebeians gain the right to elect their
own officials called tribunes
• 10 members to evaluate laws passed by the
Senate
• The tribunes could veto, or block laws that
they felt were harmful to the plebeian class
• Eventually the plebeians forced the senate to
choose plebeian consuls and admit plebeians
to the senate
Emergency Plan (Dictator)
• In the event of war or crisis, the senate would
choose a dictator or ruler who has complete
control over the government for 6 months
• Each dictator had control for 6months than
had to give up power
• Ex. Cincinnatus (organized the army, led them
to victory, attended celebrations then
returned to his farm all in 15 days)
Law Code (Twelve Tables)
• 450 b.c. inscription of laws of Rome on 12 tablets
• Tablets were set-up in the Roman forum
(marketplace)
• Plebeians had protested that citizens could not
know what the laws were because they weren’t
written down
• Laws of the Twelve Tables- codified set of laws
applied to all citizens
• Made it possible for the plebeians to appeal a
judgment handed down by a patrician judge
Expansion of the Republic
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Citizen-soldiers made up the army
Small stipend, mostly glory and spoils of war
Legion-about 5,000 men
Roman soldiers valued courage, loyalty, and
respect for authority
Expansion of the Republic
• Rome treats conquered people with justice
• Had to acknowledge Roman leadership, pay
taxes, and supply soldiers
• Rome let them keep their cultures
• A few were granted full citizenship
• Some partial citizenship- ability to marry
Romans and participate in Roman trade
• Built all weather roads, posted military
throughout its territory