The Early Roman Republic
Italian Expansion
Sources for the Early Republic
• Mix of myth and fact
• Historians:
• Livy
• Diodorous
• Cicero
Myths of the Early Republic
• The Rape of Lucretia
• Sextus Tarquin, son of Tarquinius Superbus
• Dispute over who had the most virtuous wife
• Lucretia was "very differently employed from the king's
daughters-in-law, whom they had seen passing their time in
feasting and luxury with their acquaintances. She was
sitting at her wool work in the hall, late at night, with her,
maids busy round her. The palm in this competition of
wifely virtue was awarded to Lucretia.”
• Sextus forced himself on Lucretia to take away her virtue
• She killed herself, father and husband raised and army and
overthrew the royal house
Myths of the Early Republic
• Brutus: “Father of the Republic”
• Related to Lucretia, nephew of Tarquinius
• Oath of Brutus: made people swear that they would
never allow a man to be king in Rome
• Brutus’ sons were involved in a plot to restore the
Tarquins to power as rulers (and the king) of Rome
• Brutus had all of those involved with the plot
executed, including his two sons
First Years of the Republic
• Etruscan rule expelled from Rome
• Power given to the senate (already in
existence)
• Two consuls elected yearly
Classes in Rome
• Plebeians: “common people,” less wealthy
class with little political rights at first
• Patricians: aristocratic class, political and
military leaders
• Equestrians (later class): those wealthy
enough to provide a horse for military
campaigns
• Class determined voting rights
Conflict of Orders
• 494 - First secession of the Plebs
• Established their own assembly - Concilium Plebis
• Elected their own magistrates - Tribunes (veto power)
• 450 - Second Secession of the Plebs
• The Twelve Tables: first codified law
• 445 - Another secession
• Lex Canuleia: intermarriage made legal
• 367-339 - Smaller secessions
• Plebs eligible for consulship, one of two consuls must be plebian, one
of two censors must be plebian
• 287 - The Final Secession of the Plebs
• Lex Hortensia: laws passed in Concilium Plebis were laws for all of
Rome
Early Expansion (5th-4th c)
• Gained “allies” by “defending” weaker
towns/tribes against enemies
• Latin tribes were being attacked by the mountain
tribes (needed more space)
• Rome signed treaty with Latins and protected them
• Expanded into the mountain regions
• Allowed them to keep independence, but they had to
pay taxes and contribute to army
• Rome at the head of the Latin league
• Defeated Etruscan league by 350 BC
• Allies given loose citizenship
Samnite Wars (330-290 BC)
• Samnites raiding the area of Campania
• Very fertile and desired land
• Rome allied with Capua, who was being
threatened by the Samnites
• Built the Appian Way to move troops into
Campania (312)
• Defeated Samnites in a number of different battles
• Offered Samnites citizenship without a vote
• By 280, Rome controlled most of Italy, except
Tarentum
Pyrrhic War (280-275 BC)
• Tarentum appealed to Pyrrhus of Epirus
(Greece) for help against Romans
• Superior cavalry and elephants
• Won battles, but with heavy losses - Pyrrhic
victory
• Rome rebuilds army, Pyrrhus is driven out
of Italy in 275
• Rome now controls all of Italy
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