ROMAN REPUBLIC’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO DEMOCRACY 2015

BACKGROUND Having defeated the Greeks and Etruscans, the early Romans controlled the Italian peninsula. The Romans adopted much of Greece's culture, including their philosophy and political thought. http://www.the-map-as-history.com/demos/tome12/12_03_founding_of_rome_downfall_empire.php

Established the first republic 509 B.C.: "thing of the people" citizens elected leaders who would created laws and rule for them voting rights limited to free-born males IS THIS SIMILAR TO ATHENS? EXPLAIN

Much like Greece, much of early Roman history surrounded the struggle of the upper and lower classes for power. In Rome, the patricians were the upper class and the plebeians the merchants and farmers. In the end the plebeians gained power economically and then politically.

Republican government structure two rulers who controlled the army and government: consuls-one year terms legislative branch was composed of a Senate-foreign affairs and advisors to the consuls and two lower assemblies dictatorship was provided for in times of crisis, limited to six months

Struggle of the Orders From 494BC to 287BC the patricians and plebeians struggle for power. Eventually the plebeians earned the right to equal government in many ways. Plebeians formed alternative gov. 494BC Law of the Twelve Tables 450BC Evolution of power office of consuls become senators assembly laws binding KEY: ALL OF THIS WAS DONE WITHOUT A CIVIL WAR

Eventually the Republic fell to over-expansion and corrupt leadership 31 B.C.: empire begins with Augustus becoming emperor-ends democracy in all forms

ROMAN LAW MAIN IDEA Although limited in scope the Roman legal system was the most progressive judicial system in the ancient world. The Romans devised a system that contained core democratic values such as equality before the law that would later form the basic structure of the U.S. judicial model.

http://www. tribunesandtriumphs http://www.tribunesandtriumphs.org/roman-life/rights-of-roman-citizens.htm

Roman Law believed laws should be universally applied to citizens under its control property and basic rights were codified -equality before the law -innocent until proven guilty-accuser has burden of proof -laws must be reasonable -laws should be public and citizens have a rights and responsibility to understand them

JUSTINIAN CODE Under Justinian the laws of the Twelve Tables(451BC) and other laws were codified into the Code of Justinian A.D. 528 -government based on written well- reasoned laws -all citizens, including rulers were subject to the laws-Rule of Law -laws and courts followed precedents

FALL OF THE REPUBLIC MAIN IDEA The collapse of the Roman Republic was a destructive process that took over a hundred years and involved the breakdown of civil and public institutions. In particular the leadership struggled for power and plunged the nation into civil and external wars that cost the nation its resources and unity.

REASONS FOR THE FALL OF THE REPUBLIC SELF-CENTERED LEADERSHIP Continuous war including civil war Cost of conquest Unequal income Internal weaknesses in the leadership and structure of government High taxes Corrupt agricultural policies

CONCLUSION DUE TO THE POWER AND INFLUENCE OF THE GREEK AND ROMAN CIVILIZATIONS, THE DEMOCRATIC THEORIES THEY DEVELOPED SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE WESTERN WORLD.