Download The Roman Republic

Chapter 6, Section 1

Tiber River

Middle of Italian Pen.

Mid-point of Med. Sea
 Latins, Greeks,
Etruscans
 Latins: Original Rome,
Palatine Hill
 Greeks: Southern Italy
and Sicily
 Etruscans: Northern
Italy
 Etruscan
becomes
King in 600 B.C.
 Last
king: Tarquin the
Proud
 Established
republic
a
 Patricians
 Plebeians
• Upper class
• Lower class
• Nobility
• “Plebs”
• Wealthy land owners
• Everyone in ancient
• Inherited social status
Rome (except the
patricians)
• Could not hold
important gov.
positions (by law)
• Tribunes
 Victory
for plebeians
 451 B.C. began writing down Rome’s laws
 Equal protection under the laws
 Balanced
government
 Consuls
 Senate
 Tribal
Assembly
 Dictator
 Great
value on
military
 Land
owners
 Legions
 Central
and northern
Italy
 By 265 B.C.
conquered nearly all
of Italy
 Different laws for
different parts
• Three groups: Rome,
farther from Rome,
= Rome 500 BC
allies
= Conquests to 338
= Conquests to 304
= Conquests to 290
= Conquests to 264
 Location: easy
access to
Mediterranean
 Allowed for a lot of
trade
 Carthage:
interfered with
Roman access to the
Mediterranean
 264
B.C. Rome and Carthage go to war
 Long struggle: The Punic Wars
• 264-146 B.C.
 Fought
three wars
 For
control of Sicily and the western Med.
 Carthage lost
 Hannibal
(Carthaginian general)
 Sought to surprise Rome
 Trek through Spain and France
• Lost more than half his men
• Initially worked
 Greatest
victory at Cannae
 Never captured Rome
 Scipio
(Roman
military
leader)
 Attacked
Carthage
 Carthage
burned