Download Ancient Rome

Warm Up
• List as many things you think you know about
Rome!
Ancient Rome
The Roman Republic
Key Terms
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Republic
Patrician
Plebian
Tribune
Consul
Senate
Dictator
Legion
Origins of Rome
• Legend say Rome was
founded in 753 B.C.
• Founded by Romulus
and Remus, twin sons
of the god Mars
• Abandoned on Tiber
River as babies and
raised by a wolf
• Story of Romulus and
Remus
Geography of Rome
• Center of Italian
peninsula along the
Tiber River
• On seven rolling hills
• In between Alps to
the north and
Mediterranean Sea
to the south
The Early Republic
• Early settlers included Latins,
Greeks, and Etruscans
• An Etruscan became king of
Rome around 600 B.C.
• Rome went from a collection
of hilltop villages to a large
city covering almost 500
square miles
• Temples and public centers,
like the Forum, were heart of
Roman politics
The Early Republic
• Romans forced harsh
king out of power in
509 B.C.
• Declared they would
never have king again
• Formed a republic, or
government where
power rests with
citizens who have right
to vote for their leaders
Patricians and Plebeians
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Patricians
Plebeians
Wealthy landowners
Held most of the power
Power was inherited
Ancestry gave them
authority to make laws for
Rome
• Common farmers, artisans,
and merchants
• Represented majority of
population
• Formed own assembly of
elected representatives
called tribunes
• Not allowed to hold the
higher political positions
Twelve Tables
• Written code of laws
• 10 Plebeians wrote
down the laws and
carved them on 12
tablets and hung them
in the Forum
• Established idea that all
citizens had a right to
the protection of the
law
• Reading Activity
Twelve Tables Questions
* How did Roman law safeguard the rights of
individuals?
* Which laws restricted the freedoms of individuals?
* How did Roman law maintain order and provide
security for the entire society?
* How does this list of laws compare to those of our
society today?
* Which laws seem unfair or tyrannical? Explain why.
* Why do you think many praised the Twelve Tables and
preferred to live under this Roman legal code instead
of under the laws of their native governments?
The Roman Republic
• Incorporated pieces of the
different Greek forms of
government
• Consuls- two officials who
commanded army and
directed the gov’t
• Senate- aristocratic branch
of Rome; influence over
foreign and domestic policy
• Tribunes
• Dictator- leader with
absolute power; appointed
in an emergency by Romans
for 6 months
The Roman Army
• Rome valued a strong
military
• All landowning
citizens were required
to serve
• Certain political
offices required at
least 10 years of
military service
The Roman Army
• Soldiers organized into large
military units called legions
• Legions had about 5,000
heavily armed foot soldiers
(infantry)
• Group of cavalry supported
each legion
• Divided in smaller groups of
80 soldiers, or a century
• Military was key factor in
Rome’s rise to greatness
Rome’s Power Spreads
• Roman power spread as
the legions battled for
control of Italian
peninsula
• By 265 B.C. Romans
controlled Italy
• Treated conquered
territory differently, and
with leniency
Governing Conquered Lands
• Nearest to Rome (Latins)=
Full Citizens
• In territories farther from
Rome had citizenship w/out
right to vote
• Allies of Rome had 2
conditions
– Must supply soldiers for
army
– Can not make Allies with
anyone else but Rome
Rome’s Commercial Network
• Location, Location,
Location
• Land and Sea
• Traded olive oil and wine
for foods, raw materials
and manufactured goods
• Other powerful traders
interfered with the access
to the Mediterranean
• Rise of Carthage in
North Africa challenged
Rome’s power
First Punic Wars
• Rome vs. Carthage over
control of trade in the
Mediterranean
• Events
– Control of Sicily &
western Mediterranean
– Lasted 23 years
– Rome won
Second Punic Wars
• Hannibal
• 50,000 infantry & 9000
cavalry
• 60 elephants
• Goal= Capture Rome
• Path across Spain
through the Alps
• For 10 years his army
taunted the Romans
• Elephants in War
Third Punic Wars
• Hannibal had been in
Italy for all those years,
but Romans held out
• Roman general (Scipio)
had a plan
– GET HANNIBAL OUT OF
ITALY
– Attack Carthage
– Rome burned the city
and sold 50,000
residents into slavery
– made it a Roman
territory= control