The Roman Republic

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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

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Geography of Italian Peninsula

• RomeCentrally located in the Mediterranean Basin
  and distant from eastern Mediterranean powers
• Italian Peninsula
• AlpsProtection
• Mediterranean SeaProtection, sea-borne commerce

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Greeks wanted to Colonize

• Italys central location in Mediterranean Sea
• Italys 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

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Italian Swamp
Italian Alps
Mediterranean Sea
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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 language- alphabet
  from Greeks
• Etruscan Art- expressive, needs no translation

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Etruscan Civilization 500 B.C.
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Etruscan Wall Paintings and Sculpture
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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

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Etruscan Alphabet
Etruscan Overlord
Etruscan Aristocracy
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Rise of RomeLegend 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 community- Community became Rome

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Romulus kills Remus
Famous sculpture of Romulus and Remus
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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

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Etruscan Temple
Etruscan House in Rome
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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

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Social structure in the Roman Republic

• PatriciansPowerful nobility (few in number)
• Declared Rome a Republic where people elect
  leaders
• PlebeiansMajority 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
• SlavesNot based on race

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Roman Patricians
Roman Plebeians
Roman Slaves
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Citizenship

• Patrician and plebeian men
• Selected foreigners
• Rights and responsibilities of citizenship
  (taxes, military service)

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Roman Government

• Patricians organized Romes Government into
  Executive and Legislative Branches

Roman Senate
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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)

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Executive Branch

• Headed by consuls- patrician officials elected
  for one-year terms
• Consult one another before acting
• Veto (I Forbid) the others decision
• Oversaw executive officials- praetors/judges,
  censors/keepers of tax and population records
• Only Dictator could overthrow consuls- only in
  time of crisis

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Roman Consuls
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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

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Cincinnatus
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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

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Plebeian Victories

• With no military- Patricians agreed to reforms
• Recognized Plebeians chosen representatives
  called the tribunes
• Patricians recognized Assembly of Tribes- body of
  plebeians who elected tribunes- eventually won
  right to make laws
• Improved in social standing
• Plebeian struggles slowly moved Rome closer to
  Democracy

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Plebeians slow transformation
of Rome to a Democracy
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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 laws protection

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Twelve Tables
Roman Forum Then and Now
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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

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Roman Family
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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 lower-class did
  household tasks

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Poor Roman Woman
Rich Roman Woman
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Roman Children

• Parents taught children reading , writing, and
  moral standards
• Mothers taught daughters how to run households
• Rich or poor- Romans had same values- thrift,
  discipline, self-sacrifice, and devotion to
  family and republic
• Later- became traditional Roman values

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Roman Children Learning
Roman Children in Military
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