Download Study sheet for first Roman Summative

Study sheet for first Roman Summative
1. Explain the different ways that the Roman Republic is similar and different
from the United States Representative Democracy we have today. Similar:
Both have three branches, both have a system of checks and balances,
both allow people to vote, both had similar code of laws. Differences:
U.S government gives freedom to all citizens, while the Roman Republic
denies freedoms to certain citizens; U.S president is in charge of the
military, while in times of war a dictator would be chosen for a period
of six months in the Roman Republic; Every citizen (18 and above) can
vote in the U.S, while only citizen men in the Roman Republic were
allowed to vote.
2. Who were the Plebians? Who were the Patricians? Describe the relationship
between these two groups. Plebians: Low-class workers, patricians: highclass nobility; In the very beginning of the Roman Republic, the
plebians did not like the patricians because they (the patricians) were
the only ones who participated in the government. On top of that, the
plebians were heavily taxed by the patricians. The plebians started to
revolt. In order to please the plebians, the Assemblies were created.
This allowed these lower-class people to participate in the Roman
government.
3. Describe how geography played a role in the creation of civilization in the
country we know as Italy. The city of Rome was built near the
Mediterranean Sea. This allowed for the Romans to develop a strong
navy (to help defend against outside invaders) and allowed them to
trade with other nations. The city was also surrounded by low
mountains and hills, which allowed the Romans to easily defend their
city from invaders.
4. Describe some of the legends that surround how the city of Rome was built,
and how the people of Rome came to live in Italy. Romulus and Remus: Two
infant boys were abandoned by the Tiber River, where they were
rescued by a wolf. As the boys became older, they were taken in by a
local village. When the boys became men, they went back to the spot
where the wolf rescued them. As Romulus began creating his buildings,
Remus made fun of them. In a fit of anger, Romulus killed Remus and
built the city in his image. The city would forever be called Rome, and
Romulus became its first king.
The story of Aeneas: Aeneas was a citizen of Troy during the Trojan
War. When the Greeks began to destroy the city, Aeneas took his father
and other Trojan citizens to find a new home. They finally settle in Italy,
and live in the city of Rome.
5. Describe how the Roman Republic operated (what are the three branches in
their government, who could serve in each branch, what were the powers in
each branch, what was the role of a dictator in the Roman Republic, etc.) *See
the Roman Republic chart that I gave you for information on the three
branches of the Roman Republic. The Roman Republic had a system of
checks and balances to ensure that one branch of the government did
not become stronger than the others. However, there were times when
one branch could have more power than another (this was usually a
branch controlled by the magistrates). During times of war in the early
republic, a dictator would be chosen (for a six month term) to lead the
military against the enemies of Rome.
6. Describe the Punic Wars, and what impact it had on Roman expansion. The
Punic Wars were a set of three wars fought between Rome and
Carthage. It started when Carthage sent its military to the island of
Sicily. Rome sent its military to the island, and fighting took place for
twenty years. Eventually, the Romans drove the Carthaginians out of
Sicily, and took control of the island. In the last Punic War, the Romans
destroyed Carthage, sold the remaining survivors into slavery, and
salted the ground so that no crops could grow. The Romans took over
the territory controlled by Carthage, and it gave them a new confidence
that motivated them to conquer other territories in Europe (such as
Greece).