Download THE ROMAN REPUBLIC

THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
GUIDED NOTES
Directions: Use pgs. 156 and 157 (especially the table on pg. 157) to answer items 1-5.
1) Who was the last king of Rome? Tarquin the Proud
What important idea did this establish in Rome?
-
The idea that Rome would never again be ruled by a king
2) What similarities and differences exist between the government of the United States and
the Roman Republic? List at least five for each.
SIMILARITIES


Both are republics

Both have branches of government
with set responsibilities and a system
States, only males could be citizens in
the Roman Republic

of checks and balances

States has only one president

army and chief executive of the
Both have a legal code that serves as
two in the United States

the basis of their legal system and
In the Roman Republic, six of the
“praetors”, or judges, governed
government

The legislative branch in the Roman
Republic has three houses, versus only
government

Two consuls served as executives in
the Roman Republic, while the United
Both have an executive branch that
serves as commander-in-chief of the
DIFFERENCES
Women can be citizens in the United
provinces. In the United States, the
The “high” part of the legislative
Supreme Court is made of nine judges
branch in both governments is called
that hear civil and criminal appeals
the Senate
cases.

In the United States, social class does
not determine political status. In the
Roman republic, citizens needed to be a
member of the aristocracy to be in the
Senate.
3) Who were plebeians and patricians? What kinds of rights did they have?
DESCRIPTION
PLEBEIANS
PATRICIANS
RIGHTS
- common farmers,
- citizens of Rome who held
merchants, and artisans that
right to vote; able to form
made up the majority of the
their own assembly and elect
population
tribunes
- wealthy landowners that
- had most of power and
held most of the power
social status; could hold high
political office; had authority
to make laws
4) Who had the most power? Patricians
What happened as a result of the “Struggle for Orders”? Plebeians gained more political
rights (Twelve Tables). However, tensions remained between plebeians and patricians.
5) What were the Twelve Tables? The Twelve Tables were a list of written laws that were
applied to all Romans.
How were they an important victory for the plebeians? Before this, laws were applied to
plebeians indiscriminately.
Use pgs. 158-159 to answer the following items.
6) How did Rome expand? List 5 ways.
a) Defeated Etruscans and Greek city-states militarily to take over all of Italy
b) Used a variety of strategies to integrate conquered people into Rome, allowing
neighboring people to become citizens of Rome and labeling other conquered people as
allies of Rome, who the government would not interfere with. This kept conquered people on
Rome’s side.
c) Rome’s location gave it easy access to the Mediterranean Sea. This made it easy to
expand over water.
d) Roman merchants spread Roman goods over a wide area. This gave them
economic power over many other civilizations.
e) The Punic Wars gave Rome dominance over the western Mediterranean, as Rome
was able to take over Carthage’s land.
7) How did Rome treat the people they conquered? It depended on how close they were to
Rome, but in general, they tried to integrate them into Roman society.
8) Fill in the following table on the Punic Wars.
WHAT CAUSED THE
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE
WHAT WAS THE EFFECT OF
PUNIC WARS?
PUNIC WARS?
THE PUNIC WARS?
Carthage and Rome were
Rome defeats Carthage in all
Rome becomes the dominant
three Punic Wars.
trade powerhouse in Europe
competing for economic
and Africa.
dominance in the
At the end of the Third Punic
Mediterranean Sea.
War, they burn down the city
of Carthage and become the
dominant society in Europe
and North Africa.
Rome continues to expand.