A Republic Forms in
Rome
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Primary Content Source:
Prentice Hall World History
Images as cited.
Rome began as a small city-state in
Italy but ended up ruling the entire
Mediterranean world.
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The Italian peninsula looks like a boot,
jutting into the Mediterranean Sea. The
peninsula is centrally located in the
Mediterranean, and the city of Rome is in
the center of Italy.
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This location helped the Romans as they
expanded. Because of its geography, Italy
was much easier to unify than Greece.
Unlike Greece, Italy was not broken up
into small, isolated valleys.
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Italy also had the advantage of broad,
fertile plains. These plains supported
a growing population.
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The ancestors of the Romans, the Latins,
migrated into Italy by about 800 B .C. For
a time, the Etruscans ruled much of
central Italy, including Rome itself.
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The Romans adapted the Etruscan
alphabet and the use of the arch in
building and engineering techniques.
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The Romans drove out their Etruscan
rulers in 509 B.C.E. This date is
considered the beginning of the
Roman state.
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The Romans set up a new government in
which some officials were chosen by the
people. They called it a republic. Romans
thought a republic would keep any one
individual from gaining too much power.
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The most powerful body of the republic was
the senate. Its 300 members were all
patricians, the landowning upper class. The
senate elected consuls to supervise the
business of the government and command of
the armies. They served only one term.
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In the event of war, the senate might
choose a dictator, who had complete
control over the government. Each
term was limited to six months.
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Cincinnatus was seen as a model dictator. He
organized the army, led the Romans to victory
over the attacking enemy, attended victory
celebrations, and returned to his farmlands –
all within 16 days.
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Plebeians, the farmers, merchants, artisans,
and traders who made up the bulk of the
population, had little influence in government.
Their efforts to share power shaped politics in
the early republic.
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Plebeians had argued that the republic’s laws
were not written down and accessible to all.
The Laws of the Twelve Tables set up in the
Forum (marketplace) made it possible for
plebeians to appeal judgments handed down
from the patricians.
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Over time, the plebeians gained the right to
elect their own officials , called tribunes, to
protect their interests. The tribunes could veto,
or block, laws that they felt were harmful to
plebeians. Eventually, plebeians were also
chosen as consuls to the Senate.
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As Rome’s political and social systems
evolved at home, its armies expanded
Roman power across Italy.
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Rome’s success was due to skillful
diplomacy and to its loyal, welltrained army. The basic military unit
was the legion, made up of about
5,000 men.
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Roman armies consisted of citizen-soldiers who
fought without pay and supplied their own
weapons. Roman citizens made good soldiers
because they were brought up to value loyalty,
courage, and respect for authority.
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To ensure success, Roman commanders mixed
rewards with harsh punishment. Young soldiers
who showed courage in action won praise and
gifts. If a unit fled from battle, however, 1 out
of every 10 men from the disgraced unit was
put to death.
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Rome generally treated defeated enemies with
justice. Conquered peoples had to
acknowledge Roman leadership, pay taxes,
and supply soldiers for the Roman army. In
return, Rome let them keep their own customs,
money, and local government.
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To a few privileged groups among the
conquered people, Rome gave the highly
prized right of full citizenship. As a result
of such generous policies, most
conquered lands remained loyal to Rome.
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To protect its conquests, Rome posted
soldiers throughout the land. It built a
network of all-weather military roads to
link distant territories to Rome.
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As trade and travel increased, local
peoples incorporated Latin into their
languages and adopted many Roman
customs and beliefs. Slowly, Italy began to
unite under Roman rule.
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