Rome government

transcript

PART I

When The Roman Kings’ Rule Ended• Recap: Romans revolted, threw out last of kings

Setup new type of government:

Republic—a state governed by elected officials

Who were the ‘Plebeians’?• from beginning, common people, plebeians, challenged patricians for power

• invaders threatened 494 BC; plebeians refused to fight until changes made

• patricians knew they would have no army, expanded plebeian rights

Who were the ‘Patricians’?• aristocratic families – wealthy and powerful

• patrician families controlled all society—politics, religion, economics, military

• maintained power through patronage system

The Twelve Tables

• 450 BC, plebeians forced patricians to have all laws written down

• laws displayed in Roman Forum, central square, on 12 large bronze tablets

• because laws were posted, patrician judges could not make decisions based on own opinions or secret laws

Plebeian Council

• after receiving new rights, plebeians formed own assembly, Plebeian Council, to oversee affairs and protect interests

• gained right to elect officials known as tribunes

• Tribunes’ job—protect against unjust treatment by patrician officials

• gained right to veto—ban laws that seemed harmful, unjust

POPULAR ASSEMBLIES

EXECUTIVE BRANCH/

MAGISTRATES

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

JUDICIAL BRANCH DICTATOR

ROMAN REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT 509-31

• Senate: 300 members, advised elected officials, controlled public finances, handled all foreign relations

• Popular assemblies: in these all citizens voted on laws, elected officials…

• Magistrates: governed in name of Senate and people, put laws into practice, acted as priests…

Elements of Government

• Patricians, plebeians worked out practical constitution

• Consisted of three parts: Senate, popular assemblies, magistrates

• Initially dominated by patricians; all state offices later open to both patricians, plebeians

New Offices and Institutions

Consuls• two appointed - held imperium

(full power) for 1 year term

• chief executives, army commanders

• could veto (forbid) each other

Praetors• primarily judges, could act for

consuls if consuls away at war

• after terms ended, given military commands, appointed provisional governors

Censors• recorded wealth, residence of

population (census)

• ‘policed’ the Senate, in charge of public morality

Quaestors• served as assistants to consuls

• oversaw the financial administration of the republic

Growth

• As Rome’s government changed, the Roman population continued to grow

• Rome needed more land for expanding population

• Began to settle surplus population on land acquired by conquering neighbors

Roman Army

• Organized into units called legions (approx. 4500 - 6000 men), backbone of which were centurions (commanders of 100 men units)

• Army highly disciplined, well-trained force, could fight in all types of terrain

Military Might

• Successful expansion not possible without powerful army

• All Roman men between ages 17 and 46 with minimum amount of property required to serve in army during times of war

The Conquest of Sicily• Once in control of Italy, Rome turned attention to Sicily, large island to south

of Italian Peninsula

• In Sicily, Rome came into conflict with Carthage, powerful North African trading city

• Conflict grew into series of three wars

• Punic Wars raged for nearly 80 years

The Conquest of Italy• 265 BC, Romans had defeated Etruscans and Greek cities in Southern Italy

• Romans imposed two strict conditions on subject people—subjects had to provide troops for Roman army, abandon any dealings with foreign nations

• Other than those conditions, Rome rarely interfered with domestic affairs of people it conquered