Name: _______________________
Date: ____________ Period: ______
Chapter 6.1 Reading Quiz: The Romans Create a Republic
1. What was the structure of the administration of the Roman Republic? Be specific.
Roman Republic was organized as a representative democracy
2 consuls ruled jointly…elected to 1 year terms…except in time of war, then a dictator could
take over temporarily for 6 months, then return power back to the consuls
Senate: initially comprised entirely of Patricians…served for life…
Centuriate Assembly
Tribal Assembly…elected tribunes (representatives of the plebeians)
2. Who was Hannibal? (Time Period, Location, Key Achievements)
Great Carthaginian General during the 2nd Punic War (218-202 BCE) invaded the Roman
peninsula via the Alps with mercenary soldiers and elephants…intent on destroying
Rome…was successful in many battles for 10 years, but never conquered Rome
itself…eventually had to leave to defend Carthage when it came under attack by
Scipio…eventually declared an outlaw, was chased down, and committed suicide.
3. Summarize the key events of each of the three Punic Wars.
1st Punic War- Rome vs. Carthage…Carthage had a stronger navy, Rome built a navy with the
corvus…eventually, Rome defeats Carthage and gains control of Sicily
2nd Punic War- Carthaginian General Hannibal, led an invasion of Rome through the
Alps…Roman General Scipio attacked Carthage, and defeated Hannibal at the Battle of
Zama…Carthage lost and had to pay a larger indemnity and destroy its navy
3rd Punic War- Rome set up Carthage, and declared war against them…3 year siege of the
city of Carthage…Rome eventually won, sold Carthaginians into slavery, destroyed the city,
sowed salt in the soil. Following 3rd Punic War- Rome had control of the Mediterranean
Sea…”Roman Lake”
Name: ___________________
Date: _________ Period: ______
Chapter 6.1: The Romans Create a Republic
I.
The Beginnings of Rome
 According to Roman legend, city was founded in 753BCE by Romulus and Remus…twin
sons of the god Mars and a Latin princess…twins were abandoned on the Tiber River as
infants and raised by a she-wolf
 Rome had a strategic location and fertile soil…Rome built on 7 hills on the Tiber
River…near midpoint of the Mediterranean Sea
 Early settlers, battled for control, Latins, the Greeks, and the Etruscans
o Latins: farmers and shepherds…settled in Latium…build original settlement at
Rome…1st Romans
o Greeks had established 50 colonies on the coasts of southern Italy and Sicily
between 750 and 600BCE…cities were prosperous and commercially active
 Brought all of Italy, including Rome, into closer contact with Greek
civilization
 Greeks also showed the Romans how to grow grapes and olives
o Etruscans: native to northern Italy…skilled metalworkers and engineers…system
of writing, Romans adopted their alphabet…use of the arch
 Romans borrowed religious ideas from both the Greeks and Etruscans
o Ex: Etruscan divination
Greek God
Zeus
Hera
Apollo
Artemis
Athena
Aphrodite
Roman God
Jupiter
Juno
Apollo
Diana
Minerva
Venus
II.
The Early Republic
 Around 600BCE, Etruscan became king…but Rome was not controlled by the Etruscan
cities
 Rome covered nearly 500 miles…rich agricultural land…The Forum was built (public
meeting place) at the bottom of Palatine Hill
 Last King of Rome was Tarquin the Proud…driven from power in 509BCE…overthrown by
Roman aristocrats who resented the Etruscan Kings
 Romans swore to put to death anyone who tried to make himself king.
 Romans then established a new government…called it a republic, (from Latin res
publica, public affairs)
 Republic: form of government in which power rests with the citizens who have the right
to vote to select their leaders…only granted to free-born male citizens ******
A. Patricians and Plebeians
 Patricians: aristocratic landowners who held most of the power
o Inherited their power and social status, claimed their ancestry gave them the
authority to make laws for Rome and its people
 Plebeians: common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the
population
o Citizens of Rome with right to vote, but were barred by law from holding most
important government positions…eventually, the Senate allowed them to form
their own assembly and elect representatives called TRIBUNES
o Tribunes: protected the rights of the plebeians from unfair acts of patrician
officals
B. Twelve Tables
 Important victory for the plebeians was to force the creation of a written law code
 Without a law code, Patrician officials often interpreted the law to suit themselves
 451BCE: group of 10 officials began writing down Rome’s laws…laws were carved on 12
tablets and hung in the Forum…basis for later Roman law
 Twelve Tables established the idea that all free citizens, patricians and plebeians, had a
right to the protection of the law.
C. Government Under the Republic
 First century BCE: Roman writers believed they had achieved a balanced
government…Government had taken the best features of a monarchy (government by a
king) and an aristocracy (government by nobles), and a democracy (government by the
people).
 Instead of a king, Rome had 2 officials called CONSULS
o Consuls commanded the army, and directed the government, but power was still
limited.
 Consuls term was one year long
 Same person could not be elected consul again for 10 years
 One consul could always overrule (veto) the other’s decisions
 Senate: aristocratic branch of Rome’s government…both legislative and administrative
functions in the republic
 Tradition: 300 members, chosen from the upper class of Roman society
o Later, plebeians were allowed in the senate
o Membership was for life…provided continuity…also had enormous influence
over both foreign and domestic policy
 Assemblies were more democratic side of government
 All citizen-soldiers were members of the Centuriate Assembly
o Patrician-controlled assembly appointed the consuls and made laws
o Had less power than the senate
 Tribal Assembly
o Assembly organized by the plebeians
o Elected tribunes and made laws for the common people
o Later, won the right to make laws for the republic
 DICTATOR- in times of crisis, republic would appoint a dictator.
o Dictator had absolute power to make laws and command the army
o Dictator’s power lasted only for 6 months
o Dictators were chosen by the consuls and then elected by the Senate
D. The Roman Army
 All citizens who owned land were required to serve in the army
 To secure certain public offices, 10 years of military service were required
 Roman soldiers were organized into large military units called legions
 Roman Legion: made up of 5,000 heavily armed foot soldiers (infantry)
o Legions were divided into smaller groups of 80 men…each of which was called a
century
III.
Rome Spread Its Power

For hundreds of years after the founding of the republic, Rome sought to expand its
territories through conquest and trade.
A. Rome Conquers Italy
 Roman power grew slowly and steadily
 By 4th century BCE: Rome dominated central Italy…suffered a major defeat…390BCE:
Gauls- Celtic people from Po River Valley…sacked Rome…Romans recovered…defeated
the Etruscans to the north and the Greek city-states to the south
 265BCE: Romans were masters of all of Italy except the Po Valley
 Rome had different laws and treatment for different parts of it conquered territory
 Neighboring Latins on the Tiber became full citizens of Rome…territories farther from
Rome, conquered peoples were given all the rights of Roman citizenship except the right
to vote…all other conquered groups were considered ALLIES of ROME…
B. Rome’s Commercial Network
 Rome’s location gave it easy access to the riches of the lands ringing the Mediterranean
Sea
 Roman merchants moved by land and sea
o Traded Roman wine and olive oil for a variety of foods, raw materials, and
manufactured goods from other lands
 Other powerful cities interfered with Rome’s access to Med Sea, especially Carthage
C. War with Carthage
 In 264BCE: Rome and Carthage went to war…Punic Wars
 264 and 146BCE: Rome and Carthage went to war
o 264-241BCE: fought for control of Sicily and western Med…ended in the defeat
of Carthage…Rome gained Sicily
o 218-202BCE: 2nd Punic War
 Led by Carthaginian general Hannibal
 Hannibal assembled an army of 50,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 60
elephants with intent of capturing Rome
 Led his army on a trek from Spain, across France and through the
Alps…then invaded northern Italy
 For over decade, Hannibal marched his forces up and down the Italian
peninsula at will…living off the land, pillaging farmhouses and seizing
crops and cattle
 Greatest Victory at Cannae in 216BCE
 Romans prevented Hannibal from capturing Rome
 Roman general Scipio devised a plan to attack Carthage…forced Hannibal
to return to defend his city
 202BCE: Battle of Zama: Romans defeated Hannibal
o Third Punic War (149-146BCE)
 Carthage was no longer a threat to Rome
 Senator Cato said “Carthage must be destroyed”
 149BCE, Rome laid siege to Carthage
 146BCE: city was set afire, 50,000 inhabitants sold into slavery…salt
sowed in the soil
D. Rome Controls the Mediterranean
 Rome’s victories in the Punic Wars gave it domination over the western Mediterranean
 Romans went on to conquer the eastern half
 Rome took control of Macedonia, Greece, and parts of Anatolia
 By about 70BCE: Rome’s Mediterranean empire stretched from Anatolia in the east to
Spain in the west.