Download The Roman Republic - Miami Beach Senior High School

The Roman Republic
SS.B.2.4.1-4; SC.D.2.4.1;
SS.A.2.4.3-5
Escaping Etruscan Rule
753-509 B.C.: Rome is under Etruscan
influence, ruled by seven kings
 509 B.C.: Romans overthrow last king

A
Roman republic is formed
After the formation of the Roman
Republic, Rome spends the next 200 years
at war with hostile neighbors
 338-288 B.C.: Rome conquers entire Plain
of Latium, and large swaths of central
Italy

Growing Roman Power
The new lands under Roman control
brought the Romans in closer contact with
the Greek colonies to the south
 By 264 B.C. Rome was at war with the
Greek colonies in southern Italy, and the
Etruscans to the north.
 260 B.C.: Rome controls most of Italy
 Rome adopts the best of Greek and
Etruscan cultures

The Roman Confederation

To rule Italy, the Romans formed a
confederation :
 Some
communities, most Latins, were given
full Roman citizenship
 Other communities were made allies:
 Free
to run own affairs/communities
 Must provide soldiers for Roman army
 Italian allies could achieve citizenship
 Confederation made conquered peoples feel they
were a big part of Rome and Roman success 
Roman Success
Roman historian Livy, tells stories
depicting virtues Romans should aspire to
 Romans=good diplomats

 citizenship,

Military might and infrastructure
 Forts,

autonomy
roads, weaponry
Practical government
 Creating
government institutions in response
to problems, not to preempt them
Roman Government

Rome was made of two classes of people:
 Patricians:
great land-owners, rulers
 Plebeians: less wealthy land-owners,
craftsman, merchants, farmers

Executive offices of government:
 Consuls:
2 elected every year to run
government and lead army into battle
 Praetors: in charge of Roman civil law,
citizens, eventually another was added for
cases involving one or more noncitizens
The Roman Senate
Enjoyed a special place in Roman society
 300 patricians who served for life
 Began as advisory group for leaders
 300 B.C. the advice of the Senate is law
 Centuriate Assembly: another assembly
in charge of electing consuls and praetors,
and passing laws.

The Struggle of the Orders

Patricians vs. Plebeians
 not
allowed to marry outside your class
Plebeians: serve in army + protecting
republic= equal rights
 Council of the Plebes: 471 BC, tribunes
protect plebeians, plebeians allowed to
become consuls. By 287 BC, council has
ability to pass law. All men can vote.
 New senatorial class keeps power

Roman Law
Rome’s system of law=gift to world
 First laws= Twelve Tables (450 BC)

 Small
farming system, not good for big city
New civil laws applied only to citizens
 Laws of Nations: Laws for to apply
standard of justice for all; based on
reason

 Innocent
until proven guilty
 Right to defend oneself before a judge
Rome On A Warpath

After conquering Italy, Rome clashes with
another power in the Med.--Carthage
 Phoenician
city-state founded 800 BC
 Carthaginian Empire included N. Africa, Spain,
Corsica, Sardinia and W. Sicily
 Controlled trade in Western Med. Sea

Rome did not like Carthaginians in Sicily
being so close to Italy--clash in 264 BC
First Punic War

264 BC: war b/w Rome and Carthage

“Punic” comes for Roman word for Phoenician
(punicus)
Rome sends troops to Sicily, part of Carthaginian
Empire, Carthage reads as act of war
 Rome builds a navy to wage war
 241: Roman navy beats Carthage, gains control
of Sicily
 Carthage expands Spanish holdings, vows
revenge

The Second Punic War
Rome encourages Spanish revolt
 Hannibal, decides to bring war to Rome
 From Spain, Hannibal brings army of
46,000 men, with horses and 37 elephants
across the Alps--most elephants died
 216 BC: Rome meets Hannibal, loses at
Cannae, Rome loses army of 40,000+
 Rome raises another army

The Battle Continues…
Hannibal takes control of many Italian
cities, free to roam Italy, but not powerful
enough to take major cities
 206 BC: Rome takes back Italian cities,
and pushes Carthage out or Spain
 202 BC: Battle of Zama, Rome takes
fight to Carthage, Hannibal recalled from
Italy, crushed by Romans
 Rome dominates Mediterranean region

Third Punic War






50 years later powerful Romans call for complete
destruction of Carthage
146 BC: Carthage destroyed, buildings burned,
Carthange=Roman province of “Africa”, 50,000+
sold as slaves
Rome also battled Hellenistic Kingdoms
148 BC: Macedonia=Roman province
146 BC: Greece=Roman province
129 BC: Pergamum becomes first Roman
province in Asia