How did the geography of Rome help in its earliest establishment?
Romulus and Remus were: semi-divine, born of Mars
and a woman, threatened as babies placed in basket on river rescued by a she wolf raised by a shepherd, built city on land of rescue
Romulus jumped a wall on Palatine hill and killed Remus with a brick,
Romulus named the city after himself, Rome.
Another story is The Aeneid, by Virgil,featuring Aeneas, (a-KNEE-us) a survivor of Troy in the myth, The Illiad,
Aeneas built the city and his sons were Romulus and Remus
The historical truth: seven villages of Latins which were separated by swamp, were attacked by the Sabines and the Etruscans, then unified
Responsible for beginning Rome’s development
Established the 100 patres, founding the patrician class and senate
Made Capitoline Hill an asylum for fugitives w/o women
Leader of the Sabines lived at same time as Romulus
Enlarged the city Started several
religious cults Borrowing from
conquered cultures
Founded religious temples and offices Vestal Virgins Pontifus
maximus, chief priest of Rome
(one leader for government and religion)
Possibly a Sabine leader as well
Established Rome’s Senate house the Curia Hostilia Senate ideas from
Greece Conquered Alba
Longa a city founded by Aeneas’ son
Vicious warrior, word hostile traced back to how he treated people
Enlarged Rome’s territorial control by capturing Etruscan land to the North (Roman
expansion) Captured port of
Ostia
Also known as Tarquin the Elder, came to Rome from Etruria, bringing Etruscan customs, culture and builders w/ them (Think of the “Roman
sponge”) Built earliest public works,
temples on Capitoline hill, a public sewer, fought wars with neighboring cities
Arrogant made enemies of the royal clans
A slave in the Tarquin household, became king when a Tarquin was murdered
Remembered as mild and kind, instituted the census and the assembly
Built a wall around Rome still called the Servian wall
Known as Tarquin the Proud.
Led to a rebellion against the Tarquins led by Brutus.
Brutus became one of 1st consuls; he killed his own sons for trying to returns the Tarquins to Power
The Senate was made up of 300 upper-class men called patricians and common citizens called plebeians
Only patricians could hold office, led by 2 consuls.
The senate advised consuls who then ruled, consuls had veto power which means “I forbid.”
Dictators could be appointed in an emergency, most famous Cincinnatus who left plowing his fields to lead the army and returned to his mule in one day.
Longest rule by a dictator was Sulla who ruled and took the power away from the Senate and Patricians for two years.
The last Dictator was Julius Caesar.