1. Roman Republic
Conflict of Orders

2. Engineering an Empire – Rome 2 of 10
Activation

3. Work Read The Early Roman Republic on page 151-152.
Create a chart on the 3 main parts of the government.
Function
Senate
Magistrates
Assemblies
Work

4. Senate Most influential and powerful Controlled the public funds
Decided foreign policy
In an emergency, they could appoint a dictator
The dictator would be in complete command over the army and courts
Senate

5. Magistrates Elected officials
Consuls (chief executives) ran the government
Commanded the army
Could appoint dictators
had a veto (I forbid)
checks & balances (too powerful)
praetors
helped consuls
in time of war, commanded armies
peacetime, oversaw the Roman legal system
Censors
Registered citizens according to wealth
Appointed candidates to the Senate
Oversaw the moral conduct of all citizens
Became very powerful
Magistrates

6. Assemblies Voted on laws Elected officials Some voted on war and peace
Others served as courts
10 Tribunes were elected
If actions not in public interest, they could refuse them
Assemblies

7. The Conflict of the Orders
The types of people who served as officials in the Roman government changed over time. These changes stemmed from the attempts of common people to win more rights. The struggles become known as the Conflict of the Orders.
The Conflict of the Orders

8. The Conflict of the Orders
Patricians
Powerful landowners who controlled the gov’t and plebians
Plebians
Made up of most of the population
Mainly workers and farmers
For many years, Plebians had few rights
Could vote but barred from holding most public office
Could not even know Roman laws because the laws were not written down
The Conflict of the Orders

9. Plebians OVERTIME: INCREASED THEIR POWER THROUGH demand and strikes
Gained right to join the army
Could hold gov’t office
Form their own assembly and elect tribunes
Forced the gov’t to write down the laws of the Roman republic
450BC—Romans engraved their laws on tablets called the Twelve Tables. Their laws placed in the Forum, the chief public square, for all to view.
Plebians

10. The years of the Roman Republic were not a time of peace…
200+ years after republic was founded— Romans fought many wars…
Every adult male citizen who owned land was required by law to serve in the Roman army.
The major unit of the army was the legion, consisting of from 4,500 to 6000 citizens called legionaires.
Later, Romans established the auxilia, (units made up of non-citizens)
The Republic Grows

11. Romans wanted the people they conquered to be loyal to Rome, the Romans granted full citizenship to the habitants of nearby Italian cities. They granted partial citizenship to the people of more distant cities, including the Greek city-states in Italy. Although partial citizens could own property and marry, under Roman law they could not vote.
The Republic Grows

12. Romans expected conquered peoples to provide land for Roman farmers
Romans expected conquered peoples to provide land for Roman farmers. This land policy helped the Romans to maintain control over conquered areas. It also led to the spread of the Latin language, Roman law, and other aspects of Roman culture throughout Italy.
The Republic Grows