Download Chapter 7: The Roman Republic 753 BC to 27 BC

Mr. King
J110
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founded - to build a city
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advanced – beyond the
beginning stage
senate – a governing
body
patricians – a person in
Rome who helped
govern
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republic – government
without a king where a
few people represent
many
representative – person
who speaks/governs for
others
consul – Roman leader
who served 1 year terms
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term – period of time a
person serves in a
government office
veto – to say no to a
ruling/law
dictator – person who
rules a country by force
population – all of the
people of a
town/country/the world
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laborer – person who
works with their hands
plebeian – common
person in Rome who was
not wealthy
elect – to choose by
voting
tribune – person who
protected the rights of
the common people
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political – having to do
with governing
mighty – powerful

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plank – long wide piece
of wood

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barrier – something that
blocks the way

territory – large area of
land
tax – money people pay
to support the
government
senator – person who is a
member of the senate
riot – uprising by the
people

reform – to make
something better
through change

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challenge – to question if
something is
right/wrong; invite
someone to fight
politician – government
leader; someone who
runs for office
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triumvirate – rule by 3
people
accurate – correct
assassinate – to kill
someone who is
important/in government
retire – to give up one’s
job

emperor – person who rules an empire; a king
 Rome
sits on the western side of Italy
 Sicily
is an island to the south of the main
peninsula; Sardinia is to the west
 The
Adriatic Sea is located on the east
coast
 The
Mediterranean Sea is southwest of
Sicily
 Ancient
legend stated:
Romulus and his brother Remus are
left to die; they float in a basket
Lupa, the Greek goddess Artemis in
wolf form, finds the boys and nurses them
Faustulus later rescues the boys; the
brothers fight to rule; Romulus kills his
brother; names the city Rome
Romolo e Remo allattati dalla Lupa, Peter Paul Rubens, ca. 1616
Capitoline Wolf: 5th Century BC
 The
Latins lived on a plain called Latium
 Latins
could not write so they left few
written records
 The
Latins learned a great deal from the
Greeks
 The
Etruscans were a tribe who lived in
the north near the Tiber River
 They
had a written language and were
expert sailors
 By
600 BC, they conquered Rome and the
Latium plain
 Etruscan
 The
kings ruled the Romans
king appointed men to the senate
 These
people were called patricians, or
“fathers of the state”
 509
BC the patricians rebel and defeat
the Etruscans
 The
Etruscans lose control of Rome
 They
next set up a republic; The United
States is also a republic!
 This
form of government lasts almost 500
years
 Two
consuls replaced the king
 Each
managed the government for a oneyear term; each consul could veto the
other’s decision
 Roman
 The
Senate: made of 300 patricians
senate could pass laws and help
consuls rule
Two Consuls
 Only
patricians could
vote, so Rome was not
a democracy
 Patricians
made up
less than 10% of the
population
 Patricians
believed
they were the ruling
class
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Most Romans were not wealthy; they were farmers,
merchants, laborers
These people collectively were called plebeians
and were citizens of Rome
They paid taxes and served in the army, but could
not marry out of their class
Patricians could sell Plebeians into slavery if they
did not pay debts
 494
BC Roman Republic gave plebeians the
power to elect two tribunes
 The
tribunes protected the rights of the
plebeian class; eventually ten tribunes were
elected
 By
350 BC the senate could only pass laws that
tribunes approved
 The
senate did not write down laws at first
 People
believed rulings directly from a judge
were unfair; they demanded to have laws
written
 In
450 BC, laws were written on 12 bronze
tablets and then set in the marketplace
 Children
in school had to learn these laws
 280
BC Plebeians could hold political
offices
 Plebeians
 Consuls
could also serve in the senate
could now come from the
plebeian class