Download The Twelve Tables.

Legend has it that Rome was founded by
twin brothers ROMULUS and REMUS, the
wolf-boys!
Between 600 and 509 B.C., Rome was ruled by 7
different kings. In 509 B.C. the people established a
REPUBLIC
A republic is a government where the people have
the right to choose their leaders. But only male
citizens with money and property could vote (not a
democracy!!!
The Senate (the lawmaking body in Rome), was
made up of about 200 rich families called
Patricians. Only patricians could become
Senators.
All other people (farmers, artisans and
merchants were plebians. The plebians
demanded more rights and after threatening
to leave Rome, were given representatives
called Tribunes, and later laws called The
Twelve Tables.
The Romans ruled all of the Italian Peninsula by 264
B.C.
But they were not the only center of power in
the Mediterranean. The other powers were:
Alexandria in Egypt
And Carthage (on the north coast of Africa)
In 264 B.C. Rome and Carthage fought
for control of Sicily. These wars were
known as the Punic Wars.
Rome won the first battles.
Carthage vowed revenge.
In 218 B.C. Hannibal, with an army of 60,000 men
and 60 elephants traveled from Spain across Gaul
and over the Alps to surprise the Romans.
The long, hard journey cost Hannibal half of his men
and most of his elephants. Rome defeated Carthage
and began from then on to build its empire.
Rome expanded its territories to stretch across 3 continents.
Each territory was divided into separate states, and
each state given a governor who would collect taxes
and send them back to Rome.
One of Rome’s most powerful generals was Julius
Caesar. He was so popular because of his
victories in battle, that the Senate made him a
dictator.
A dictator is a ruler who has absolute power and authority.
Caesar took power away from the Senate.
They became angry, and believed that
Caesar wanted to make himself king.
On March 15,(the Ides of March, 44 B.C. members
of the Senate killed Caesar.
After the murder of Caesar, Rome broke
out into civil war that lasted 17 years.
In 27 B.C. Caesar’s great nephew, Octavian
won the civil war, and was named “Octavian
Augustus, or the “honored one” and ruled as
emperor for 41 years.
Rome then had a period of peace for the next
200 years. This is referred to as the Pax
Romana, or “Roman Peace.”
In less than 400 years, Christianity developed
from a small sect in Palestine into the official
religion of Rome.
The Romans were not tolerant
of the monotheistic Christians
and would persecute them by
sending them to the lions in the
Colosseum.
General Constantine was said to have
had a dream about being visited by
Jesus and building a cross that would
lead him to victory.
Because of his Christian beliefs, he decided
to put a stop to the killing of Christians and
allow for religious freedom for all people.
Because of the high cost of maintaining
the Roman army, corruption in
government, and Germanic barbarian
invaders, Rome falls from power finally
in 476 a.d.