A. Romans overthrew Etruscan rulers in 509

BCE

› 1. Etruscans ruled by a monarchy

› 2. the Romans hated this

Etruscans

B. Romans created a new government; a

republic

› 1. translates as “thing of the people”

› 2. made to prevent any individual human from

gaining too much power (like a tyrant king)

Senatus Populusque

Romanus

Est. 509 BCE

"The Senate and the

People of Rome"

C. The Government Takes Shape

› 1. Romans were divided into two (2) general

classes of people:

a. Patricians – members of the landholding upper

class (aristocracy) = upper class

b. plebeians – farmers, merchants, artisans and

traders = middle and lower class

› 2. the Roman republic revolved around the Senate

a. made up of 300 elite members of the Patrician class

› 3. each year, the Senate voted for two (2) consuls who served for one year

a. supervised the “business” of government and commanded the Roman Legions (armies)

b. consuls had to consult the Senate

› 4. the Roman republic had a system of checks on the power of government

5. in case of emergencies, the Romans could elect a dictator › a. a ruler who had complete

power over the entire government and armies

› b. only had power for 6 months

› c. example of Cincinnatus

i. given dictatorial power

ii. org. army, defeated enemy, had victory celebration, then returned to farm fields all w/in 16 days

D. Plebeians Demand Equality

1. first breakthrough happened in 450 BCE

when the 12 Tablets were displayed in the

Forum (marketplace)

› a. gave members of the plebeian class the ability to defend themselves

D. Plebeians Demand Equality

2. gained the right to elect their

own representatives, the tribunes

› a. tribunes had the super power to

veto Patrician laws

i. veto is Latin for “I forbid”

3. eventually plebeians were

elected as consuls and other

high government positions, and

even into the Senate itself

List one thing the Romans adopted from their previous rulers, the Etruscans.

Use the following terms to form a brief yet accurate summary of the Roman form of government, the Republic:

A. the Roman family

1. : father dominated household

2. However, for the

ancient world

B. education was available to both boys and girls

1. importance placed on and

, and

a. rhetoric -

b. to convince and win and & to

C. Roman Religion

1. very ;

2. various temples dedicated to various gods and goddesses; many

and on the Roman calendar

A. conquered the , their former rulers, and

then the scattered

1. by , Rome controlled the entire

B. Roman military success was due to its

1. basic unit was a , of around 5,000 soldiers

a. raised with

2. to discourage disloyalty, a Roman legion that deserted

would have 1 out of every 10 men captured killed at

random

C. If a nation surrendered to Rome:

1. had to

2. and

3.

a. and gained all benefits of

being Roman

D. Protecting Rome’s Expanding

Empire

1.

connecting all their

territory

2. Roman legions were posted

throughout conquered territories

and were always expanding

Main Idea: Rome’s military expansion begins to put strain on

Rome’s plebeian class.

A. Rome’s expansion puts it in conflict with the

empire of Carthage

B.

1. between Carthage’s Empire

(N. Africa and W. Mediterranean)

and Roman Republic

(most of Italian peninsula)

2. series of three separate wars

a. –

and gains

the islands of Sicily,

Corsica and Sardinia

b. – Surprise attack from North by

of Carthage, never looses a battle in Italy, but

when Rome attacked Carthage while

Hannibal was still on the Italian peninsula.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Hannibal_Slodtz_Louvre_MR2093.jpg

c. delivered revenge by

; city destroyed, people killed or

3. showed the

C. Rome was

1.

2. Rome established –

Roman

Expansion

D. Other Conquests

1.

who were mostly divided and weak

2. empire stretched from Spain to Egypt /

“ (Mediterranean)