The Roman The Roman RepublicRepublic

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

The RepublicPart I: Early Rome

First Settlers1.Etruscans - Native to northern

Italy 2.Greeks - Colonized southern Italy

and Sicily 3.Latins - Built the original

settlement at Rome

The RepublicPart I: Early Rome

The RepublicPart 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

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

The RepublicPart I: Early Rome

Plebeians RisingAssembly: representative group

of plebianstribunes: elected to protect

plebeian interests, had veto powerLaws of the Twelve Tables

– written laws– plebeians appeal decisions by patrician judges

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

Roman LegionsRoman 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

11stst Punic War Punic War Carthage – competing with Rome for trade, control

Carthage has strong navy, Rome builds one to fight it

Rome wins,gains Sicily

22ndnd Punic War Punic War Hannibal

– General from Carthage– attacked Rome by land (with elephants!)

– defeated by Scipio

33rdrd Punic War 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 Controlsthe Mediterranean

Problems in the Problems in the RepublicRepublic 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

Problems in the Problems in the RepublicRepublic The Gap between rich and poor widens (_),

The poor revolt Slaves revolt too

– Spartacus led 70,000 slaves

Reform Reform AttemptsAttempts2 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

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!!!!

Think about it…The soldiers are now more loyal to the generals than the government…

What do you think could happen next?