1. The Roman Republic

2. The Republic Part I: Early Rome
Geography:
Peninsula –on the Mediterranean Sea
Rome is located halfway between Alps and Sicily
Tiber River –the legend of Romulus and Remus
Fewer mountains & less rugged than Greece
Fertile land

4. The Republic Part I: Early Rome
First Settlers
Etruscans - Native to northern Italy
Greeks - Colonized southern Italy and Sicily
Latins - Built the original settlement at Rome

5. The Republic Part I: Early Rome
republic: officials chosen by the people (citizens)
Patricians: wealthy landowners who held most power
Plebeians: most people
farmers, merchants, traders, artisans
had little influence

6. The Republic Part I: Early Rome
senate: 300 patricians (landholding upper class)
consuls: two patrician executives elected by senate, must consult them
dictator: elected during a crisis to rule for six months

7. Plebeians Rising Assembly: representative group of plebians
tribunes: elected to protect plebeian interests, had veto power
Laws of the Twelve Tables
written laws
plebeians appeal decisions by patrician judges

8. Legacy Plebeians gain access to high offices and senate
Did not have to use war or revolution to gain power
U.S. adopts senate, veto, checks on power

9. Roman Legions
all male citizens who owned land required to serve in army
legion: group of 6000 men
well-trained, disciplined
treated conquered people pretty well

10. 1st Punic War Carthage – competing with Rome for trade, control
Carthage has strong navy, Rome builds one to fight it
Rome wins,
gains Sicily

12. 2nd Punic War Hannibal General from Carthage
attacked Rome by land (with elephants!)
defeated by Scipio

16. 3rd Punic War Romans still not satisfied after 50 years of peace
“Carthago delenda est”
Cathage must be destroyed!
Romans attack AND burn Carthage, enslave people
Rome now Controls
the Mediterranean

17. Problems in the Republic
Provinces complain of corrupt officials
Wealthy Romans take land from small farmers
Slaves are used on big farms (latifundia). This pushes small farmers and workers into cities

18. Problems in the Republic
The Gap between rich and poor widens (_),
The poor revolt
Slaves revolt too
Spartacus led
70,000 slaves

19. Reform Attempts 2 Brothers try to help Tiberius Gracchus
Wanted to redistribute (give back) land to the poor
BUT, he was killed by senate
Gaius Gracchus
Same reforms, same fate

20. The Army Changes paid, equipped soldiers (mercenaries)
gave land to veterans
This is the beginning of a professional fighting force
soldiers become more loyal to generals than republic!!!!

21. Think about it…
The soldiers are now more loyal to the generals than the government… What do you think could happen next?