Download History 4A ChapterSummariesPtII - b

Chapter 20: The Etruscans and Early Rome
-Geography:
*had to overcome Apennines, mountain range that runs though the entire
peninsulaisolation of communities, diversity
*fertile plains, esp. in north
-Etruscans:
*not much is known about them, religious
*language derived from Euboean Greeks, lots of literature (Greek influence, esp.
b/c adopted Greek alphabet)
*primitive, agricultural society- tribal
-depended on small livestock
*predecessors to Etruscans were the Villanovans
*main good for trade was metals (lived in a mineral rich area)
*decline of Etruscans as a result of powerful trading cities like Carthage, also
came under attack by Celtic invaders
-The Foundation of Rome:
* legendary date of establishment of city, 753 BC
*Livy wrote an important version of the city’s founding, glorified the epic
*next to the Tiber rivertrade with other Mediterranean cities
*8th6th centuries, Rome was ruled by kings
-not a hereditary position
~had to have imperium, divine authority
*Serivus Tullius came to power in 579 BC
-rise to power similar to Greek tyrants
-created a citizen army of all those who could afford arms
~formed the comitia centuriata, assembly w/ formal duty to
declare wars, make alliances and vote on constitutional changes
*more open to extending citizenship rights than Greeks
-citizen body grew enormously, made Athenian model of democracy
impractical
-The Roman Republic:
*city came under aristocratic control
-claimed to be protectors of Rome against tyranny
- created consuls, who would have the power originally enjoyed by a king
~elected annually by the comitia centuriata and authorized by
comitia curiata, can be elected again after a 10 yr. period
~had command of army OUTSIDE OF THE CITY
~usually had autocratic background, military achievement
*quaestors, (four) financial officials, elected annually
*praetor, judicial affairs- also had the right to command the army
*senate= group of advisors who debated and discussed policy making
-drawn from aristocratic families, also automatically joined Senate after
year of (elected) public office
-senatus consultum= the advice of the Senate. No legal effect (not legally
binding) but highly respected
*plebs= (plebians) mass of citizens who by law or custom were excluded from
magistracies and senate. Essentially, anyone who was not an aristocrat or
patrician.
-created their own assembly, concilium plebis and elected (10) tribunes to
protect the ordinary citizens against arbitrary use of magistrate powers
* a lot of tension between plebs and patricians, eventually the patricians died out
and the plebs gained social status (new men, novus homo)
-Rome still under oligarchic rule though
-cohesion of state maintained through religious rituals
-early roman history, lots of attacks from neighboring Latin tribes
*Romans took land from conquests and added it to their city
*defeated territories made part of the commonwealth and had to accept Roman
dominance and give armed support when called upon
-NOT ROMAN CITIZENS!!
-Rome also strategically developed colonies in strategically vulnerable areas