1. Do now: Write in agenda Take out “Patricians and Plebeians” packet
Take out a pencil

2. Patricians and Plebeians Under Etruscan Rule
The Etruscans ruled Rome from B.C.E.
Roman society was divided into two classes.
Plebeians: peasants, laborers, artisans, shopkeepers (95% of the population)
Patricians: wealthy landowners
(5% of the population)
According the Roman records, there were seven kings who ruled the city. Not all of them were Roman. The last three kings were Etruscan who ruled Rome from BCE.

3. II. The Patricians Create a Republic
509 BCE: a group of patricians rebelled and drove the Etruscan king out of the city.
**Lucius Junius Brutus was one of the heroes of the rebellion. He supported the new republic.

4. II. The Patricians Create a Republic
Only patricians could participate!!!
The new government was a republic, where elected officials work for the interest of the people.
Roman Senate- 300 men
Elected by other patricians
Create laws and served as judges
Served for life
Consuls- 2 elected leaders
Shared command of the army
Listened to the Senate
How democratic was the Roman Republic?

5. II. The Patricians Create a Republic
How democratic was the Roman Republic?
What are some reasons plebeians would be unhappy with the government?
Total pop.: 40,000
Plebeians: 38,000
Patricians: 2,000
300 Senators
2 consuls
How democratic was the Roman Republic?

6. Hammurabi’s Code was the first example of laws being written down.
What are the benefits of having written laws?

7. III. The Plebeians Rebel
Patricians took advantage of the fact that laws were not written down.
Plebeians grew increasingly unhappy and demanded more political rights.
The struggle between the plebeians and the patricians was known as the Conflict of Orders

8. Your city passes laws that you don’t like
Your city passes laws that you don’t like. You believe it is hurting the community.
What are some ways you can protest?

9. III. The Plebeians Rebel
494 BCE- Rome’s population was 25, ,000 people.
Angry over the lack of power, the plebeians marched out of the city and camped on a nearby hill.
They refused to come back until the patricians met their demands.
Patricians had no choice but to compromise in the end.
Why do you think this was an effective strategy?

10. IV. The Plebeians Gain Political Equality
The plebeians’ revolt led to a major change in Roman government.
Tribunes
represented the plebeians in the Senate.
Had the power to “veto,” prohibit, actions by the Senate
Rome’s laws were written down on on tablets called the Twelve Tables
One of the consuls had to be a plebeian.
Watch Brainpop: Roman Republic

11. Homework: due Monday
Summarize. How was the struggle between patricians and plebeians important to the government of Rome?
Watch Brainpop: Roman Republic