Rome as a Republic

Rome as a Republic

By MARGARET JACKSON

​ I can explain how conflict, between social classes, changed Rome's government.

Governing Rome

There were two main social classes in early Rome: patrician and plebeian. Patricians were wealthy landowners who held government offices. Most people were plebeians—shopkeepers, artisans, and small farmers. Patricians and plebeians could not

marry each other.

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All patrician and plebeian men were citizens and had the right to vote. They had to pay taxes and join the army, but only patricians could be in the government.

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The Roman government had three parts. This was to stop any one part from getting too strong. The top leaders were two consuls who served for one year. One consul headed the army. The other headed the rest of the government. Each consul could

veto, or reject, the other consul’s decision.​

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​Watch the video on Social Structure in Rome.

​Complete your Social Structure Sketch notes using the slide presentation.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1j-gl5BALvIBmqH8oOEq36oJE6pAYgXg7/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105566798668457235398&rtpof=true&sd=true​

​Click Here........

Multiple Choice

Which group consisted of wealthy landowners?

• Patricians

• Plebians

Multiple Choice

Why did the Roman government consist of 3 parts?

• The population was so large they divided it into 3 groups.

• It was to stop any

  one part from getting too strong.

• There were 3 branches of government judicial, legislative,a nd executive.

• The consul had 3 people in charge so each ruled a part.

Rome had two legislative bodies, or groups that made laws. The Senate was made up of 300 patrician men. They were senators for life. They passed laws and approved building projects. The second group that made laws was the Assembly of Centuries. It also elected consuls and praetors (or judges).

Roman praetors could lead armies and help run the government.​

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Multiple Select

Rome had two legislative bodies, or groups that made laws.

• Consul

• Senate

• Assembly

• Praetors

Multiple Choice

Which group in Roman government could serve as judges and led the armies?

• Consul

• Senate

• Assembly

• Praetors

Over time, the plebeians became angry. They had the duties of citizens, but they could not be a part of the government. They wanted equal rights. As a result, in 494 B.C., the plebeians went on strike. The patricians were scared. To prevent the collapse of the republic, plebeians were allowed to set up the Council of Plebs. It elected tribunes. The tribunes told the government what the plebeians thought about issues. The tribunes could also veto

government decisions. A few wealthy families, however, still held most of the real power.​

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Multiple Choice

Why did the Roman government allow the plebians to

set up the Council of Plebs and use tribunes?

• The plebians went on strike because they wanted equal rights,

• They needed someone to rule in an emergency

• The wealthy families paid for the Council of Plebs.

The Roman Republic included dictators. Today, a dictator is a cruel ruler who controls everything. In early Rome, dictators were chosen by the Senate to rule during emergencies. As soon as the emergency ended, the dictator's rule ended.​

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Multiple Choice

What was the job of

the dictators in the

early Roman Republic?

• To rule in an emergency

• To veto consul decisions.

• To be cruel and control the common people.

• To make laws

In 458 B.C. the Roman army was attacked. The Senators chose a farmer named Cincinnatus to be dictator. He had been a respected Roman consul. Cincinnatus gathered an army, which easily defeated the enemy. Afterward, he went home to his farm. Cincinnatus was famous for doing his civic duty by serving his government when he was needed.

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Plebeians demanded that Rome's laws be written down. That way, everyone could know the laws and make sure the judges followed them. In 451 B.C. Rome adopted its first written laws, known as the Twelve Tables. They were carved on bronze tablets and placed in the marketplace where everyone could see them. The Twelve Tables were based on the idea that all citizens should be treated equally under the law.​

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Multiple Choice

Rome adopted its first written laws, known as .....

• The Roman Tables

• The Twelve Laws

• The Twelve Tables

• The Rules of Law

When Rome began taking over other nations, they made a new set of laws called the Law of Nations. The Law of Nations listed principles, or ideas, for justice. We still use some of these ideas today. For example, American law says that people are innocent until they are proven guilty.

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Rome’s legal system was based on the idea that everyone should be treated equally. This is called “the rule of law.” Many rich people did not like the rule of law. They were used to having special privileges. In fact, many rich people were not used to obeying the law at all. The rule of law changed that.​

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Multiple Choice

What listed principles, or ideas, for justice in ancient Rome?

• Rules and Laws

• Laws of Nations

• The Twelve Tables

• Government

Open Ended

How do you think poor Romans felt about the rule of law?

The Punic Wars

Rome continued to grow. It wanted to control the entire Mediterranean world, but so did an empire named Carthage. Carthage was a trading empire on the coast of North Africa. It was the largest and richest city in the western Mediterranean.​ Carthage was built around 800 B.C. by the Phoenicians, who were skilled sailors and traders.

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Multiple Choice

What was the largest and richest city in the western Mediterranean?

• Rome

• Athens

• Carthage

• Calcutta

​In 264 B.C. Rome and Carthage both wanted to rule the island of Sicily. The First Punic War was fought between Rome and Carthage. This war lasted 20 years until Rome won in 241 B.C.

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Carthage had to leave Sicily and pay a huge fine to the Romans. Carthage then conquered southern Spain. The Romans helped the Spanish people rebel. In 218 B.C. Carthage sent their great general, Hannibal, to attack Rome. This started the Second Punic War.

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Multiple Choice

What started the first Punic war?

• Carthage tried to conquer Rome.

• Rome tried to conquer Carthage.

• Carthage wanted to take Sicily from Rome.

• Rome and Carthage wanted to rule the island of Sicily.

Hannibal sailed his army from Carthage to Spain. His men rode horses and elephants across the Alps and into Italy. Hannibal’s army beat the Romans at Cannae and began raiding Italy. In response, Roman general Scipio captured Spain and attacked Carthage. Hannibal and his army had to return home to defend their people. Finally, Scipio’s army defeated Hannibal’s forces. Carthage was forced to give up its navy and give its Spanish territory to Rome. Rome now ruled the western Mediterranean region.

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Carthage was no longer a military power, but it was still a rich trading center. In 146 B.C. during the Third Punic War, Roman soldiers burned Carthage to stop it from getting stronger. Many people in Carthage were enslaved.

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In the 140s B.C., Rome conquered all of Greece. Twenty years later, it took its first province in Asia. Romans began to call the Mediterranean Sea mare nostrum, which means “our sea.”​

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Multiple Choice

What happened to Carthage after the Third Punic War?

• It was burned to keep it from getting stronger.

• It was turned into the capital city.

• It was ruled by Hannibal.

• It became a military power.