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Roman Republic
Section 9-2
Rome’s Government
• Romans divided into two classes
– Patricians – nobles, wealthy land owners
• All of Rome’s ruling class
– Plebeians – artisans, shopkeepers, farm
owners
• Most of Rome’s people
Rome’s Government
• Citizens
– Patricians and Plebeians:
– Right to vote
– Paid taxes
– Serve in the army
– Plebeians less social status than Patricians
• Could not marry each other
• Could not hold public office
Government
consuls
praetors
senate
Rome’s Government
• Consuls
– Two patricians
– Ran government
– Headed army
– One year term
– Could veto the other’s decision
Rome’s Government
• Praetors
– Act as judges
– Interpret the law
Rome’s Government
• Senate
– Made laws
– 300 patrician men
– Life term
Rome’s Government
• Assembly of Centuries
– Elected consuls and praetors
– Passed laws
– Patricians only
Rome’s Government
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Plebeians complained
494 B.C. they went on strike
Patricians agreed to share power
Gave them the Council of the Plebs
Council of the Plebs
• Elected tribunes who brought concerns to
government’s attention
• Could veto decisions
• Could marry Patricians
• By 300’s B.C., could become a consul
• Could pass laws for all Romans
Cincinnatus
• Was a dictator (ruled with complete control
during an emergency)
• Farmer, ruled for 16 days then stepped
down
• Romans strongly believed in civic duty or
the idea that citizens have a responsibility
to help their country.
Cincinnatus
• With one hand he returns the fasces,
symbol of power as appointed dictator of
Rome. His other hand holds the plow, as
he resumes the life of a citizen and
farmer." — A statue of Cincinnatus in
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Roman Law
• Twelve Tables
– Rome’s first law code
– Written because plebeians thought laws
favored patricians
– All citizens had the right to be treated equally
in the legal system
– Applied only to citizens
• Table II.
• 2. He whose witness has failed to
appear may summon him by loud calls
before his house every third day.
• Table IV.
• 1. A dreadfully deformed child shall be
quickly killed.
• 2. If a father sell his son three times,
the son shall be free from his father.
• Table V.
• 1. Females should remain in
guardianship even when they have
attained their majority.
• Table VII.
• 1. Let them keep the road in order. If they
have not paved it, a man may drive his team
where he likes.
• 9. Should a tree on a neighbor's farm be
bend crooked by the wind and lean over your
farm, you may take legal action for removal
of that tree.
• 10. A man might gather up fruit that was
falling down onto another man's farm.
Roman Law
• Law of Nations
– Helped solve legal disputes between citizens
and non citizens
Roman Law
• Both sets of laws use ideas that we still
use today
– Innocent until proven guilty
– Use of defense
– Judges must look at evidence before deciding
Roman Law
• “Rule of Law”
– Idea that says the law should apply equally to
everyone
– This was a new idea then!
Rome Expands
• Carthage
– In northern Africa
– Ruled a trading empire
Rome Expands
• First Punic War
– Carthage and Rome wanted to both control
Sicily
– Rome built up a big navy and conquered
– 20 years later, Sicily was under Roman rule
Rome Expands
• Second Punic War
– Carthage expanded into Spain after they lost
Italy
– Rome helped Spain rebel against Carthage
– Carthage sent Hannibal to attack Rome
• Hannibal is known marching into Italy with a huge
army and 37 elephants
– Rome lost at the battle of Cannae
– General Scipio invaded Spain and beat C.
Rome Expands
• Rome was now a major power in the
Mediterranean
• Third Punic War
– Rome invaded Carthage
• Enslaved, destroyed
• Made Carthage a province
Rome Expands
• Two years later, Macedonia fell to Rome
• Two more years later, Greece fell to Rome
• By 129 B.C., Rome gained its first Asian
province