Who ruled early Rome?
Early Rome was ruled by Etruscan kings from northern Italy.
How did the Romans overthrow the Etruscans?
The Romans revolted against them.
What is a republic?
A republic is a form of government in which leaders are elected to represent the people.
Who led the overthrow of the Etruscan kings?
Lucius Junius Brutus led the overthrow of the Etruscan kings.
When were the Etruscan kings overthrown?
They were overthrown in 509 B.C.E.
What did Lucius Junius Brutus do after the overthrow of the Etruscan kings?
He became one of the first leaders of the new republic.
What was the legend that the Ancient Romans told about the overthrow of their Etruscan rulers?
2 Etruscan princes went to see the famous oracle at Delphi (DEL-fie) they asked the oracle who would be the next king. The oracle said that "the next king will be the man who first kisses his mother". Then Brutus pretended to trip; he fell on his face, an
In the legend, who traveled with the Etruscan princes when they went to see the oracle?
A Roman named Lucius Junius Brutus traveled with them.
He became one of the first leaders of the new republic.
Lucius Junius Brutus
Did the oracle's mysterious words come true? Why?
Yes, because Lucius Junius Britus became one of the first leaders of the new republic.
What happened when the Etruscan kings were overthrown?
The Roman people were now free to govern themselves.
In the republic, did all the Roman citizens have equal rights?
No, not all Romans were equal.
Who did the power in the early republic belong to?
Power in the early republic belonged to rich men called patricians (pah-TRIH-shens).
Who were the patricians?
They were the upper, ruling class citizens who were wealthy landowners.
Who were the plebians?
The majority of Romans, the plebeians (pleh-BEE-anz), were peasants (farmers, store owners, etc.) that had no voice in the government.
What did the patricians do when the Etruscan king ruled?
They advised the Etruscan king, controlled most of the valuable land and held important military and religious offices.
Who were the plebeians (pleh-BEE-anz)?
They were the common people; peasants.
What were the plebeians' jobs?
They were peasants, laborers, crafts people, shopkeepers.
How much of the population in Rome where the plebeians?
They were 95% of the population.
What were the plebeians forced to do?
They had to serve in the army.
When did the Etruscans rule Rome?
They ruled Rome between 616 and 509 B.C.E.
What 2 classes of people comprised Roman society during the Etruscan rule?
They were the patricians and plebeians.
What Latin word does Patrician come from?
The Latin word pater, which means "father.
Who controlled most of the valuable land?
The patricians controlled most of the valuable land.
What were the non-partisan citizens called?
They were called the plebeians.
Where does the word plebeian come from?
It comes from the Latin word "plebs".
What does plebeian mean?
This word means"the common people.
What did the plebeians have to do for their country and the partisans didn't have to?
They still were forced to serve in the army.
Who could not be priests or government officials in the new republic?
The plebeians
What is the Senate?
The group of 300 men elected by the people to govern Rome.
To the patricians, what did "the people" of the new republic mean to them?
It meant themselves, not the plebeians which meant that only the patricians had the right to rule in the new republic.
Who was in the Senate when Rome started their new government of the Republic?
They were a group of 300 patricians elected by patricians!
How long did the Senators serve in the government?
The senators served for life.
What did the Senate do?
They appointed other government officials and served as judges.
What were the two elected leaders, called that shared command of the army?
They were called consuls.
What was the difference between the balance of power between patricians and plebeians when the Etruscans ruled and when the Roman Republic was first created ? Why?
The balance of power was the same during these different periods of Roman history because the patricians had more power since the plebeians weren't allowed to participate in the government.
Why was the balance of power unequal when the republic was first created?
The balance of power was unequal because patricians were the only people who were allowed to vote so they put a lot of patricians in the new government.
When the new government of the republic began, what were the majority of the people in the Senate?
The majority of people were patricians.
Who was supposed to advise the consuls?
The Senate was supposed to advise the consuls.
Whose decisions were treated as law?
The Senate's decisions were treated as law.
What did the creation of the republic do for Rome?
It gave Rome a more democratic form of government. (But not completely)
When Rome became a republic, was the new government have fair laws for all of its citizens?
No, the patricians held all the power. They made sure that only they could be part of the government. Only they could become senators or consuls. Plebeians had to obey their decisions.
Because laws were not written down, what did patricians do when interpreting the laws of the republic?
They often changed or interpreted the laws to benefit themselves.
What was the struggle between plebeians and patricians called?
It is called the Conflict of the Orders" a conflict between the two social classes.
What was the "Conflict of the Orders" ?
It was a conflict between 2 social classes; the partisans and the plebeians.
When did the "Conflict of the Orders" occur?
This conflict between the Partisans and the Plebs occurred in 494 B.C.E.
Why were the plebians able to fight for more political rights?
They were able to fight for more political rights because they were the majority of the population of Rome.
When did the conflict between the social classes get especially heated?
This conflict got worse during times of war.
What happened in Rome in the year 494 B.C.E.?
During this year the plebeians rebelled because they were angry over their lack of power.
How did the Plebeians feel about having to fight in the army and why?
They resented it because the patricians decided whether to go to war or not and they didn't have to fight in it.
What did the plebeians do in order to get the partisans to give them more rights?
They marched out of the city and refused to come back until the patricians met their demands.
Why were the patricians frightened by the actions of the plebeians?
They were frightened because work on the farms and in the city stopped and the army would be helpless if an enemy struck at Rome.
What happened when the plebians left Rome?
The patricians had little choice but to compromise.
What were the 3 dates that the Roman government made changes for greater equality for the plebeians?
The dates of these changes were 451, 367, 287 B.C.E.
(the addition of the first 2 digits of the first 2 dates = 9;
the third 's =10. The last 3 digits of the last 2 dates are both 7.
What did the government change in 451 B.C.E.?
The Roman government changed the written laws so that patricians couldn't randomly change the laws.
What did the government change in 367 B.C.E.?
The Roman government allowed 1 of the 2 consuls be a plebeian.
How did changing the law to allowing 1 out of 2 consuls be a plebeians?
When this law changed the plebeians became more fairly represented in the Republic.
What government change happened in 287 B.C.E,?
The plebeians got the right to pass laws for all Roman citizens and plebeian assemblies could nominate consuls, tribunes + Senators.
If you were a patrician in 367 B.C.E. would you have 1 of 2 seats in the consul? Why?
Yes, because the other consul must be a plebeian.
What were the 6 political characteristics of the Roman Republic that were adopted in later parts of the world?
The political characteristics of this government that were adopted later in other parts of the world were:
1. Constitution
2. Citizenship
3. Civic Duty
4. Elected Assemblies
5. Republicanism
6. Government bodies can check each other power (a system of che
What 2 ways did the plebeians gain more political power after 494 B.C.E?
They could elect 2 tribunes to speak for them in the senate with the consuls. Later the tribunes gained the veto and their # increased to 10 plebians.
They could elect a lawmaking body - Council of Plebs, but it could only pass laws for the plebeians.
What was society like during Etruscan Rule?
During this time, Roman society was divided into two classes, patricians and plebeians
What is a Consul?
One of two chief leaders in Rome.
What did the Consuls do?
They shared command of the army.
Who advised the consuls?
The Senate advised them.
What would happen to a decision made by the Senate?
Their decisions became a law.
What are Tribunes?
They are officials of Rome elected by plebeians to represent them.
What does veto mean?
It means to refuse to approve proposals of government or overrule actions by the Senate and other government officials.
What did the Tribunes have the power to do when they were first elected?
They could speak for the plebeians in the Senate and with the consuls.
What could the Tribunes do after some time passed vs. when they were first elected?
They gained the power to veto.
How many tribunes were eventually in the roman government?
Their numbers of these officials grew from two to ten.
Who were the Plebeians allowed to elect in 367 B.C.E.?
They could elect a lawmaking body, the Council of Plebs.
How long did it take for the plebeians to gain political equality?
About 200 years
How did the plebeians gradually win political equality?
They staged a series of protests to gradually win political equality.
Did the plebeians get total equality with the partisans when the new Roman republic was formed?
No, the partisans still had more rights.
What was the first plebeian demand that the partisans agreed to?
First, they demanded that the laws be written down.
Why did the plebeians want to have the laws written down on the 12 Tablets?
They did this so the patricians couldn't change them at will.
What were the Roman laws eventually published on?
The laws were published on tablets called the Twelve Tablets.
What were the Twelve Tablets?
They were tablets that the laws of Rome were written on.
When did the Plebeians win their first victory against the authority of the Partisans?
This happened around the year 451 B.C.E.
What was the 1st victory that the Plebeians won against the authority of the Patricians?
This happened when the partricians agreed to post Rome's laws on the Twelve Tables.
When was the #2 major victory (plebeians could be 1 of the consul members) against the authority of the Patricians?
This #2 major victory of the plebs vs. the patricians happened in 367 B.C.E.
What was the 2nd victory that happened in 367 B.C.E. that the Plebeians won against the authority of the Patricians?
It was a new law said that one of the two consuls had to be a plebeian.
How did the new law that allowed one of the 2 consuls to be plebeian help?
Since former consuls held seats in the Senate, this change also allowed plebeians to become senators.
What does Civic Duty mean?
It means the responsibilities of a citizen.
What is Republicanism?
This means that government should rule for the good of the people.
What is a constitution?
It is a set of basic laws.
What are Assemblies?
They were a group of elected people in the government that would make laws for the good of the people that they represent.
What is the ability of Government Bodies to check each other's power called?
It is called a system of "checks and balances".
What do Tribunes do?
They were elected officials that had the power to make laws for the plebeians. They had the power to veto actions taken by judges and could intervene legally on behalf of plebeians in order to protect them.
What does Nomination mean?
It is the act of officially naming/choosing a candidate for a public office.
What happened in 287 B.C.E.?
The year that plebeians gained the right to pass laws for all Roman citizens. Now, assemblies of all Roman citizens, such as the Citizens' Association, could approve or reject laws.
What happened in 367 B.C.E.?
During this year a new law was passed that allowed 1 of the 2 consuls to be a plebeian.
What did the plebeian assemblies do?
They nominated the consuls, the tribunes, and the members of the Senate.
What did Rome eventually become an example for?
It became an example of a type of government ruled by a set of basic laws, or a constitution.They had elected assemblies, citizenship and civic duty.They adopted the model of governmental bodies that could check each other's power.
Which political leaders were inspired by the spirit of republicanism?
They were the future leaders of America and Europe.
What does the "spirit of republicanism" mean?
This means that government should rule for the good of the people.
Who was Cicero (SIS-eh-roh)?
He was famous Roman statesman.
What did Cicero mean when he said, "The people's good is the highest law.
He meant that the government should rule for the good of the people.
How long did the Roman republic last ?
It lasted for about 500 years.
What caused the plebeian rebellion: the Conflict of the Orders?
Because they wanted the same political rights as the patricians.
What happened in the roman government in 451 B.C.E.?
It was the year that the Twelve Tables were published.
What happened when he patricians agreed to let the plebeians elect Tribunes of the Plebs and the Council of Plebs?
They allowed the Plebeians to govern with them. which meant that the plebeians had won their fight for equality.
What was the Citizens' Association?
It was an assembly of all Roman citizens both partricians and plebs.
What could assemblies like the
Citizen's association do?
These plebeian groups could approve or reject laws. They could also nominate the consuls, the tribunes, and the members of the Senate.
Who did Rome's republican form of government eventually inspire?
it inspired future leaders in Europe and America.
What did the Roman government eventually become an example for?
It became and example of a type of government ruled by a set of basic laws, or a constitution.
What ideals of the Roman government did future political thinkers use to form their governments?
They used the Roman ideals of elected assemblies, citizenship, and civic duty. They adopted the model of governmental bodies that could check each other's power
Who was Livy?
He was a famous Roman historian.
Who wrote "A great panic seized the city, the patricians had little choice but to compromise.
Livy, a Roman historian wrote it.
What was Livy talking about when he wrote: "A great panic seized the city, the patricians had little choice but to compromise.
He was talking about the rebellion of the plebeians when they left the city of Rome and frightened the patricians because there was no one to make or supply food and goods as well as protect the city.
Could partricians be elected Tribunes?
They couldn't be tribunes because they were not plebeians.