Republic-a type of government in which citizens select their leaders
Patrician-a member of a wealthy family in the ancient Roman
Republic
Plebian-an ordinary citizen in the ancient Roman Republic
Consul-an elected official who led the Roman Republic
Veto-the power of one branch of the government to reject bills passed by another branch of government
Dictator-a person in the ancient Roman Republic appointed to rule for 6 months in times of emergency, with all the powers of the king

Romulus and Remus are the mythological twin brothers who founded the city of Rome. Here is their story.
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Romulus and Remus were twin boys born to a princess named Rhea Silvia. Their father was the fierce Roman god of war, Mars. The king where the boys lived was scared that someday
Romulus and Remus would overthrow him and take his throne. So he had the boys left in a basket on the Tiber River. He figured they would soon die.
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The boys were found by a she-wolf. The wolf cared for them and protected them from other wild animals. Eventually some shepherds happened across the twins. One shepherd took the boys home and raised them as his own children.
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The twins eventually came to the place where Rome is located today. They both liked the general area, but each wanted to place the city on a different hill. Romulus wanted the city to be on top of Palatine Hill while Remus preferred Aventine Hill. They agreed to wait for a sign from the gods to determine which hill to use. Remus saw the sign of six vultures first, but
Romulus saw twelve. Each claimed to have won.
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Romulus went ahead and started building a wall around Palatine Hill. However, Remus was jealous and began to make fun of Romulus' wall. At one point Remus jumped over the wall to show how easy it was to cross. Romulus became angry and killed Remus.
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With Remus dead, Romulus continued to work on his city. He officially founded the city on April
21, 753 BC, making himself king, and naming it Rome after himself.

I. Rome’s Geography and Early Settlement
 Romans valued loyalty and justice.
 Romans highly valued the favor of the gods.

A. Geographical Advantages
 The first settlers on Rome’s 7 hills weren’t thinking about building an empire.
 The site was chosen because it was a good place to live.
a. Hills made the area easy to defend b. The soil was fertile c. The site had a river
 Rome had another advantage: it was at the center of a long narrow peninsula

 Italy juts out into the Mediterranean Sea, the center of the western world.

B. Etruscans
 We know very little about the people who founded Rome.
 About 600 B.C. a mysterious people, the Etruscans took power in Rome.
 Where did they come from? No one is sure, even today.
 Etruscans ruled as kings of
Rome, but many people did not like being ruled by an all powerful king and having no say in how they were governed.

B. Etruscans
 In 509 B.C. the Romans revolted against the harsh reign of
Tarquinius Superbus and drove the Etruscans from power.
 The victors adapted Etruscan ideas.
a. Many of the Roman gods were
Etruscan gods.
b. They also borrowed the
Greek alphabet the Etruscans used.
c. The Roman garment, the toga came from the Etruscans.

II. Romans Form a Republic
A. The Roman Senate
 The most powerful part is the senate.
 The senate is the same as our legislative branch of our government-the branch that makes and votes on new laws.
 The senate is made up of 300 upper-class men called patricians.
Patrician-a member of a wealthy family in the ancient Roman
Republic
 Plebians could not hold public office or be senators.
Plebian-an ordinary citizen in the ancient Roman Republic

II. Romans Form a Republic
 After removing the last Etruscan king, the Romans vowed never again to put so much trust in kings.
 They wanted a government that did not rely on one ruler.
 By 264 B.C., the Romans gained control of the entire Italian peninsula and had established a new form of government, a republic.
Republic-a type of government in which citizens select their leaders

II. Romans Form a Republic
B. The Roman Consuls
 Two chief officials led the government called consuls.
Consul-an elected official who led the Roman Republic
 The consuls were like our president, today, chief executives, who enforced the Republic’s laws and policies.
 Plebians could not be consuls.

Roman Senator
Roman Plebians

II. Romans Form a Republic
B. The Roman Consuls
 Ruled for one year only
 Both consuls had to agree before the government could take action.
 If one consul vetoed, the matter was dropped.
Veto-the power of one branch of the government to reject bills passed by another branch of government

II. Romans Form a Republic
C. Other Important Officials
 Romans knew that their govt. might not work if the two consuls disagreed.
 So, Roman law held a dictator could be appointed handled an emergency.
Dictator-a person in the ancient Roman Republic appointed to rule for 6 months in times of emergency, with all the powers of the king
 Praetors were other important officials-junior consuls, later served as judges in civil-law trials, trials that settled disputes about money, business, contracts, etc.

II. Romans Form a Republic
D. Patricians vs. Plebians
 The expansion of Rome’s influence throughout
Italy caused growing troubles between the
Patricians and the Plebians.
 Patricians were leaders who fought hard to keep control of the govt.
 Plebians believed they had a right to be respected and treated fairly.
 Plebians didn’t trust the patrician senate and believed that they were unfair.
 Patricians grew wealthy due to Rome’s conquests.

II. Romans Form a Republic
D. Patricians vs. Plebians
 The farms the patricians bought were worked by slaves.
 Plebian farmers found themselves without work.
 Angry plebians refused to fight in the Roman army.
 One main demand of the plebians was for a written code of laws which was called the Laws of the Twelve Tables.
 They were hung in marketplaces so that all citizens could know what the laws were.

II. Romans Form a Republic
E. Master of the Mediterranean
 While plebians and patricians fought for power,
Rome’s armies were conquering new territories.
 Invaded territories controlled by Carthage, a
North African city, present-day Tunisia.
 By 146 B.C., Rome had completely destroyed
Carthage and its empire.
 Other Roman armies finished the job of conquering Macedonia (Philip & Alexander the
Great).
 Then they turned to the land of Gaul, present-day
France.

III. The Decline of the Republic
A. The Rise of Julius Caesar
 Caesar was a smart leader, eager for power.
 His strong leadership won him the loyalty of his troops.
 War broke out between Caesar and Italy’s senate.
 Caesar won the war and became dictator of the
Roman world.
 Caesar ruled with great power, taking much of the power that had once belonged to the senate.

III. The Decline of the Republic
B. The Death of a Dictator
 For 4 years Caesar took over important public offices.
 He became the only consul.
 He became dictator for life.
 Caesar took many useful steps to reorganize the government.
 But, it seemed to many senators that Rome once again had a king, and they hated this idea.

III. The Decline of the Republic
B. The Death of a Dictator
 On March 15, 44 B.C., Caesar had plans to attend a meeting of the senate.
 His wife, Cleopatra, sensed danger and urged him not to go, but Caesar insisted.
 At the meeting, a group of senators gathered around Caesar.
 Suddenly, they pulled out knives and stabbed him.
 Caesar fell to the ground, dead.
 Although Caesar had been a strong ruler, many
Romans felt he had gone too far and too fast in gathering power.

III. The Decline of the Republic
C. From Republic to Empire
 Civil war followed Caesar’s death.
 When the war ended after 13 years, Caesar’s adopted son,
Octavian, held power.
 The senate awarded Octavian the title of Augustus, meaning
“highly respected”.
 He was the first emperor of
Rome.

III. The Decline of the Republic
C. From Republic to Empire
 The rule of Augustus marked the beginning of the
Roman Empire and the end of the Roman Republic.
 The Roman Republic lasted for 500 years, but civil war and powerful political figures destroyed
Rome’s republic forms of rule.
 For the next 500 years, the great Roman civilization would be ruled not by people, but by an all-powerful emperor.