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Ancient Rome
Roman Republic
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509 B.C. – Rome
develops a government
called a republic
Indirect democracy:
citizens elect leaders
who make government
decisions
Only free-born males can
vote
Roman Republic

Two groups competed
for power
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Patricians: rich
landowners who held
most of the power
Plebeians: common
farmers, artisans, and
merchants. They forced
the patricians to give
them more power
Republican Government
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Separate branches of
government
Two consuls commanded
the army and led the gov’t
Roman Senate:
aristocrats who advised
the consuls and controlled
the money
Republican Government
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Two assemblies included
other classes of people
In times of crisis, a
dictator was appointed
for a 6 month term
Expansion creates
problems for the Roman
republic
Republican Government

Rome ends democracy and
becomes an empire under
Augustus in 27 B.C.
Roman Law
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Rome’s legal principles
influence the growth
of democracy
throughout the
Western world
Rome establishes a
written legal code
Written Legal Code

Twelve Tablets (451
B.C.): assured citizens
protection under the
law
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Justinian’s Code (528
A.D.): compiled all
laws made since the
earlier code
Written Legal Code

Written laws establish
the idea of “a
government of laws,
not of men” (Aristotle)