6th Grade UBD - Unit 7 - Roman Origins and Early Political Structures

Rome’s Early Influences- The ancient Greek and Etruscan
cultures greatly influenced the early city of Rome.

The Roman Republic- The Roman Republic was a
government in which the people elected their leaders.

The Punic Wars- Between 264 and 146 BCE, Rome fought
three wars against the powerful city of Carthage. They are
known as the Punic Wars.

In your own words
identify and explain
what laws are. Then
analyze why people
have laws written down
and how laws affect
your life. (5 minutes)

Work with a
neighbor and
compare your
answer with theirs.
What things are
the same and what
things are
different? (3
minutes)

According to the Roman legends, descendants of the Trojan hero
Aeneas founded Rome.

Rome was ruled by Etruscan kings, who had overthrown the Latin
kings.

The Romans may have adopted the Etruscan alphabet. They also may
have taken on Etruscan and Greek gods. Their political philosophy
came from Greece.

The cultures that influenced Rome in its early history helped create
Roman political philosophy and society. These have, in turn, affected
many modern cultures.

The official language of
the ancient Romans was
Latin.

Latin is the basis for a
number of different
languages, including
Italian, French, and
Spanish.
Video- The Aeneid
Key Term
The Aeneid- A
poem, written by
Virgil, that tells the
story of Aeneas, a
Trojan who
travelled to Italy, in
search of a new
home, which he
found in Rome.

Much information about
the Romans comes from
Roman historians and
poets. Virgil, a Roman
writer, describes the story
of Rome’s creation in his
epic poem, The Aeneid.

The Aeneid, which follows
Trojan War hero Aeneas
as he leaves Troy and
settles in central Italy.

According to Virgil, one of
Aeneas’s descendants,
Romulus, built the city of
Rome.
Reading Handout- The Aeneid
Video- The Etruscans
Key Term
The Etruscans- The
Etruscans lived on the
Italian peninsula.
Although Rome
flourished under the
Etruscans, the
Romans rebelled and
overthrew the
Etruscans in 509 BCE.

Greek culture, politics,
religion, and
philosophy influenced
the Romans, as did
the Etruscans who
had already settled in
Italy.

The Etruscans were
responsible for many of
Rome’s large temples
and the Roman Forum.

They also gave the
Romans their alphabet,
numerals, fashion, and
art.

Both the Greeks and the
Etruscans influenced
Roman religion, and it was
dissatisfaction with the
Etruscan king Tarquinius
Superbus that prompted
the Romans to establish a
new form of government.

Roman citizens had certain rights and responsibilities.

Patricians had most of the power at first. However, over
time, plebeians fought for and won a major role in their
government.

Rome’s government was made up of three parts. Each had
the ability to limit the power of the other parts.

Romans created a written code of laws to be sure that
people were treated fairly.
Key Term
Republic- A
form of
government in
which people
elect their
leaders.
Key Term
The Roman RepublicA period of the ancient
Roman civilization
when the government
operated as a republic
and began to expand,
conquering nearby
Etruscan states until
Rome ruled all of
central Italy.
Video- Creating A Republic

After Tarquinius
Superbus was removed
from power, the Roman
people needed a new
form of government.

In about 509 BCE,
Romans established a
republic.

A republic, which is a form of
government in which people
elect their leaders.

Although the new
government gave the Roman
people more power than they
had had under Tarquinius, it
was not truly democratic.

Three social classes
made up Roman
society.

These classes were
the patricians, the
plebeians, and the
slaves.

Of the three social
classes present in Rome
at the time—wealthy
patricians, common
plebeians, and slaves—
only patricians could
hold office.

The plebeians were allowed
to vote in elections, but they
were not allowed full
participation in government.

This angered the plebeians,
and they threatened to
create a new city with its
own government.

Eventually, the plebeians
were able to vote and hold
office as magistrates,
senators, or members of
the assembly.

These three branches
divided power and
responsibility.

Additionally, the
Senate had the power
to appoint a dictator to
lead the republic for a
period of six months
during times of war
and crisis.
Key Term
Dictator- One
ruler with
total control
over the
government.

The new structure shared
similarities with the
government of ancient Athens,
which had a Council of 500 and
an assembly, but a key
difference was that Athens was
a direct democracy while Rome
was a representative
government.

The new Roman government
served as a model for many later
governments, including the
government of the United
States.

No one person or group could
hold all the power, and
government responsibilities
were divided among several
branches.

The U.S. government is
separated into three
branches.

Each branch has its own
powers. These are the
legislative, executive,
and judicial branches.

Rome’s government did not
have exactly the same
structure as the United States
has today.

Rome divided the
responsibility of governing
among three different
groups. These were the
magistrates and consuls, the
senate, and the assembly.

The Romans also started
the democratic tradition
of recording written
laws. In 451 and 450
BCE, Rome’s first written
laws were produced on
12 bronze tablets.

Known as the Law of the
Twelve Tables, the laws were
displayed in the Roman
Forum for all to see.

Written laws remain an
important foundation of the
governments in many
countries today.
Video- Learning from the Past
Reading Handout- The Republic Then and Now

In the first Punic War, Rome built up its navy and gained the island
of Sicily. It also gained power in the Mediterranean Sea.

In the second Punic War, the brilliant Carthaginian leader Hannibal
almost captured Rome. In the last Punic War, Rome defeated and
destroyed Carthage.

Through the Punic Wars, Rome gained power over the
Mediterranean and a large amount of territory in North Africa and
southern Europe. This growth of power began the spread of the
Roman Empire.
Key Term
Punic Wars- Rome
and Carthage fought
a series of three wars
in 264–146 BCE. They
were battling for
control of the
Mediterranean Sea.
At the time, Carthage
was also called the
Punic Empire.

The Punic Wars began the
spread of Roman
influence. Because Rome
wanted to control
Mediterranean shipping
lanes owned by Carthage,
three wars, collectively
known as the Punic Wars,
began.

In the first war, Rome
gained control of Sicily,
Sardinia, and Corsica.

In the second war, Rome
gained control of
modern-day Spain and
several of the
Mediterranean islands.

The final war lasted for
two years and resulted in
Rome’s taking control of
Carthage and all its former
territory in Northern
Africa.

Rome then owned most of
the land adjacent to the
Mediterranean sea.

What has been the
“muddiest” point so
far in this lesson? That
is, what topic remains
the least clear to you?
(4 minutes)

Work with a
neighbor and
compare your
muddiest point with
theirs. Compare
what things are the
same and what
things are different?
(3 minutes)