Download Roman Government & Laws

Roman Government &
Laws Review
Roman Government Three Phases
Roman Kingdom
– 753 to 509 BC
• How many years is
this?__224_____
Roman Republic
– 509 to 27 BC
• How many years is
this?__482___
Roman Empire
– 27 BC to 476 AD
• How many years is
this?__503____
Rome’s Mythical Beginnings: Roman Kingdom
The road to a Roman Kingdom (753 to 509 BC)
begins with the legendary myth of Romulus and
Remus.
Romulus and Remus
– Twin boys sent adrift in a basket on the Tiber River on
the order of their great uncle.
– Found and cared for by a wolf until a shepherd takes
them in.
– They decide to build a city on the river banks were they
were saved, but there is a disagreement on where to
build this city.
• Romulus kills Remus to build the city of Rome.
• Romulus becomes king of Rome.
Rome Becomes a Republic
Roman Republic (509 to 27 BC) began when the
last Roman King, or tyrant was overthrown.
– Tarquinius was overthrown in 509 BC
Roman Republic lasts about 480 years, but
eventually dictators start to emerge.
– Lucius Cornelius Sulla started a civil war by marching his
troops into Rome, and he becomes a dictator.
Strict Social Classes: Patricians (upper) and
Plebeians (lower)
– Written Laws: The Twelve Tables
The Law of the Twelve Tables
The reason for the creation of the laws was to
appease the plebeians.
– In 494 BC, invaders threaten Rome and the Plebeians
refuse to fight until their rights were expanded.
• Without the Plebeians there would be no Roman Army to
speak of…
– In 450 BC, the Plebeians had the laws written down,
and displayed in the Roman Forum.
Significance:
– The laws do not look like the beliefs of Hammurabi,
and everyone is treated fairly under the law.
– The laws resemble the U.S. Constitution or the Bill of
Rights.
Rome Becomes an Empire
The First Triumvirate (rule of three men)
– Julius Caesar, takes control in 44 BC “Dictator
for Life”
– Gnaeus Pompey (Caesar defeats)
– Licinius Crassus (dies)
Bad news for Caesar…
– Many Senators believed Caesar wanted to
become king, and plotted to kill him.
Roman Empire Cont…
Second Triumvirate
– Octavian “Augustus” (Caesar’s heir and
adopted son)
– Marc Antony (defeated by Octavian)
– Lepidus (“retired”)
Octavian Augustus becomes Rome’s first
emperor.
Other lines of emperors included the:
– Julio-Claudians and the Flavians
– The Good Emperors