Download The Roman Republic

Greek Influence on Early Italians
• Greeks traders sailed up the Italian
Peninsula around 900 B.C.
• 750 B.C. to 500 B.C. Greeks set up
farming communities in southern Italy
and Sicily
• Planted olive trees and grapevines
• Introduced their alphabet to Italians
Geography of Italian Peninsula
• Rome—Centrally located in the
Mediterranean Basin and distant from
eastern Mediterranean powers
• Italian Peninsula
• Alps—Protection
• Mediterranean Sea—Protection, seaborne commerce
Greeks wanted to Colonize:
• Italy’s central location in Mediterranean Sea
• Italy’s rich soil and mild, moist climate
• Silt blocked mouths of river and created
swamps- Italians suffered epidemics of
malaria and other diseases carried by
mosquitoes
• Italians traded w/ themselves- Alps blocked
Italian
Swamp
Italian Alps
Mediterranean Sea
Indo- Europeans
• Between 900 B.C. and 500 B.C. the
Etruscans ruled northern Italy from the
plains of Etruria
• Did not speak Indo-European languagealphabet from Greeks
• Etruscan Art- expressive, needs no
translation
Etruscan
Civilization
500 B.C.
Etruscan Wall Paintings and Sculpture
Etruscan Society
•
•
•
•
Wealthy overlords
Aristocratic priests
Slave labor
Wealthy overlords enslaved people to
provide them w/ luxury and aristocratic
priests sacrificed prisoners to appease Gods
• Repeated revolts- The Latins/lower class
freed from Etruscan rule
Etruscan Alphabet
Etruscan
Overlord
Etruscan Aristocracy
Rise of Rome
Legend v. Truth
• Legend of Romulus and Remus: Twins left
to be raised by wolves- each wanted to
create own city- Romulus killed Remus in
a fit of rage- Romulus built Rome
• Truth of Rome: Between 800 B.C. and
700 B.C.- Latins in villages on 7 hills
joined and formed one communityCommunity became Rome
Romulus kills Remus
Famous sculpture of
Romulus and Remus
Etruscan Rule
• 620 B.C.- Etruscan gain control of Rome
• Tarquins- Etruscan Family- ruled over Romans
– Built w/ brick and roof houses with tile
– Drained marshy lowlands and laid out city streets
– Created Forum- center of city- seat of Roman
Government
– Built temples, taught religious rituals, elevated
Rome to one of most wealthy in Italy
Etruscan Temple
Etruscan House in Rome
Tarquin the Proud
• Came into power in 534 B.C.
• Cruelties angered the Romans and in 509
B.C. , they drove Tarquins out
• Etruscan artisans stayed in Rome helping
the city continue to prosper
Social structure in the Roman
Republic
• Patricians—Powerful nobility (few in number)
– Declared Rome a Republic where people elect leaders
• Plebeians—Majority of population
– Wealthy non-aristocratic people, merchants, shopkeepers,
farmers and laborers
• Plebeians and Patricians had rights- vote, paying
taxes, serving in military
• Plebeians could NOT hold public office like Patricians
• Slaves—Not based on race
Roman Patricians
Roman Plebeians
Roman
Slaves
Citizenship
• Patrician and plebeian men
• Selected foreigners
• Rights and responsibilities of citizenship
(taxes, military service)
Roman Government
• Patricians organized Rome’s Government
into Executive and Legislative Branches
Roman
Senate
Legislative Branch
• Consisted of the Assembly of Centuries and the
Senate- both under Patrician rule
• Assembly of Centuries- elected officials of
executive branch
• Senate- 300 Patrician men-served for life- had a
lot of power
• Senate advised consuls, debated foreign policy,
proposed laws, approved contracts (roads,
temples, and defenses)
Executive Branch
• Headed by consuls- patrician officials elected for
one-year terms
• Consult one another before acting
• Veto (“I Forbid”) the other’s decision
• Oversaw executive officials- praetors/judges,
censors/keepers of tax and population records
• Only Dictator could overthrow consuls- only in
time of crisis
Roman Consuls
Cincinnatus- 458 B.C.
• Most admired dictator
• Powerful rival threatened Rome- Senate
sent messengers for Cincinnatus
• Named Dictator for emergency
• Led forces into battle, defeated the enemy
and resigned as dictator
• Returned to his farm 16 days after taking
command
Cincinnatus
Plebeians Vs. Patricians
• Plebeians resented lack of power
• Patricians could NOT maintain republic
w/out Plebeians
• 494 B.C.- Plebeians refused to fight in
Roman Empire unless Patricians gave into
Plebeian demands
Plebeian Victories
• With no military- Patricians agreed to reforms
• Recognized Plebeians’ chosen representatives
called the tribunes
• Patricians recognized Assembly of Tribesbody of plebeians who elected tribuneseventually won right to make laws
• Improved in social standing
• Plebeian struggles slowly moved Rome closer
to Democracy
Plebeians slow transformation
of Rome to a Democracy
Twelve Tables
• Most significant Plebeian victory
• Written law code
• 451 B.C.- Patricians engraved laws on 12
bronze tablets set in the Forum
• Basis for all future Roman Law
• Established principle that all free citizens
had right to law’s protection
Twelve Tables
Roman Forum:
Then and Now
Family
• Basic unit of Roman society- large and close
– Unmarried children, married sons and their families,
dependent relatives and household slaves
• Father absolute head- conducted religious
ceremonies, controlled property and supervised
education of sons
– Had power to sell family members into slavery or even kill
them
– Deep sense of responsibility for welfare of family
Roman Family
Roman Women
• Few legal rights- but more freedom than
Greek women
– Acted as hostesses, did marketing and ran
households, occasionally acquired property
and business
• Wealthy women studied Greek and lowerclass did household tasks
Poor Roman Woman
Rich Roman Woman
Roman Children
• Parents taught children reading , writing,
and moral standards
• Mothers taught daughters how to run
households
• Rich or poor- Romans had same valuesthrift, discipline, self-sacrifice, and
devotion to family and republic
• Later- became traditional Roman values
Roman Children Learning
Roman Children in Military