Mr. King J110

 founded - to build a city  advanced – beyond the beginning stage  senate – a governing body  patricians – a person in Rome who helped govern  republic – government without a king where a few people represent many  representative – person who speaks/governs for others  consul – Roman leader who served 1 year terms

 term – period of time a person serves in a government office  veto – to say no to a ruling/law  dictator – person who rules a country by force  population – all of the people of a town/country/the world  laborer – person who works with their hands  plebeian – common person in Rome who was not wealthy  elect – to choose by voting  tribune – person who protected the rights of the common people

 political – having to do with governing  mighty – powerful  plank – long wide piece of wood  barrier – something that blocks the way  territory – large area of land  tax – money people pay to support the government  senator – person who is a member of the senate  riot – uprising by the people

 reform – to make something better through change  challenge – to question if something is right/wrong; invite someone to fight  politician – government leader; someone who runs for office  triumvirate – rule by 3 people  accurate – correct  assassinate – to kill someone who is important/in government  retire – to give up one’s job

 emperor – person who rules an empire; a king

 Rome sits on the western side of Italy  Sicily is an island to the south of the main peninsula; Sardinia is to the west  The Adriatic Sea is located on the east coast  The Mediterranean Sea is southwest of Sicily

 Ancient legend stated: Romulus and his brother Remus are left to die; they float in a basket Lupa, the Greek goddess Artemis in wolf form, finds the boys and nurses them Faustulus later rescues the boys; the brothers fight to rule; Romulus kills his brother; names the city Rome

Romolo e Remo allattati dalla Lupa, Peter Paul Rubens, ca. 1616

Capitoline Wolf: 5 th Century BC

 The Latins lived on a plain called Latium  Latins could not write so they left few written records  The Latins learned a great deal from the Greeks

 The Etruscans were a tribe who lived in the north near the Tiber River  They had a written language and were expert sailors  By 600 BC, they conquered Rome and the Latium plain

 Etruscan kings ruled the Romans  The king appointed men to the senate  These people were called patricians, or “fathers of the state”

 509 BC the patricians rebel and defeat the Etruscans  The Etruscans lose control of Rome  They next set up a republic; The United States is also a republic!  This form of government lasts almost 500 years

 Two consuls replaced the king  Each managed the government for a one- year term; each consul could veto the other’s decision  Roman Senate: made of 300 patricians  The senate could pass laws and help consuls rule

Two Consuls

 Only patricians could vote, so Rome was not a democracy  Patricians made up less than 10% of the population  Patricians believed they were the ruling class

 Most Romans were not wealthy; they were farmers, merchants, laborers  These people collectively were called plebeians and were citizens of Rome  They paid taxes and served in the army, but could not marry out of their class  Patricians could sell Plebeians into slavery if they did not pay debts

 494 BC Roman Republic gave plebeians the power to elect two tribunes  The tribunes protected the rights of the plebeian class; eventually ten tribunes were elected  By 350 BC the senate could only pass laws that tribunes approved

 The senate did not write down laws at first  People believed rulings directly from a judge were unfair; they demanded to have laws written  In 450 BC, laws were written on 12 bronze tablets and then set in the marketplace  Children in school had to learn these laws

 280 BC Plebeians could hold political offices  Plebeians could also serve in the senate  Consuls could now come from the plebeian class