The Roman Republic: People
• Indo-European people
during 1500-1000 BCE
• Latins lived in Latium
(herders/farmers)
• Greeks and Etruscans
settled around 800 BCE
• Age of Greek Colonization
(750-550 BCE) settled in
Sicily and southern Italy
People (cont’d)
• Establishment of Rome came from Etruscans
• Rome – small village transformed by Etruscan
building program
• Brought with them influence of Toga as official
dress
• Etruscan army influenced Roman army
The Roman Republic
• Early Rome (753-509 BCE) was under control
of 7 kings; 2 of last 3 were Etruscan
• 509 BCE fall of early Rome. Romans overthrew
Etruscan king to establish a republic
• Republic – citizens have a right to vote and
not led by a king
The Roman Republic
• Rome at war for almost 200 years
• 338-288 BCE Rome crushes Latin states and
those in the Apennine region
• Conquered southern and mostly all of Italy by
264 BCE
The Roman Republic: Government
• Roman Confederation – Roman rule over Italy
allowing full Roman citizenship to conquered
people.
• Allowed remaining communities the freedom
to run their own affairs
• Had to provide Rome with soldiers
Government (Cont’d.)
• Divided into 2 orders
• The Patricians – landowners, ruling class
• The Plebeians – less wealthy landowners,
craftspeople, merchants, small farmers
• Men in both were voting citizens but only
Patricians could hold office
Government (Cont’d.)
• The consuls and praetors – chief executive
officers
o Consuls – 2 elected each year; one to run
government, one to lead military
o Praetors – enforces Roman Republic civil law
• Roman Senate – select group of 300
patricians; served for life
• Senate started out as advisors, grew to have
great influential strength of the law
Government (Cont’d.)
• Centuriate Assembly – additional assembly that
elected chief officials and passed laws
• Organized by classes based on wealth
• Who had the majority?
• Council of the Plebs – assembly for Plebeians
established as a solution to social structure
struggle
Government (Cont’d.)
• Often conflict between Patricians and Plebeians
• Children of groups could not intermarry
• Plebeians sought political and social equality
• Eventually Tribune of Plebs developed to protect
rights and “equalities” of Plebeians
Government: Roman Law
• 12 Tables – Rome’s first code of Laws;
eventually replaced and updated
• Law of Nations – seen by Romans as natural
law based on reason and established
standards of Justice
• Still in effect in today’s legal systems