LO-1 City-State and Empire: The Roman Republic

Italy and it's people

• when the Hittites moved into Asia Minor and the Greeks into the Aegean, other tribes moved into Italy
• the Etruscan were non-Indo-European immigrants who arrived in Italy from somewhere to the east about the 9th century b.c.

Timeline

• Ninth Century B.C. - Etruscan move into Italy
• Eighth Century B.C. - first Greek colonies in southern Italy; settlements near the mouth of the Tiber River join to form the city-state of Rome
• Seventh Century B.C. - Etruscan conquer Latium
• 500 B.C. - Rome overthrows Etruscan rule
• 450 B.C. - Twelve Tables, first written Roman legal code
• 264-146 B.C. Punic wars between Rome and Carthage
• 250 B.C. All of Italy and south of the River Po is in Roman hands; plebeians share political rights with patricians
• First Century B.C. - most non-Romans in Italy win citizen rights; Romans expand into the eastern Mediterranean and then into western Europe
• 44 B.C. - Julius Caesar becomes dictator for life; members of the senate assassinate him
• 31 B.C. Octavian's forces defeat Antony and Cleopatra; Octavian becomes supreme ruler of Rome

The Roman Republic: The Senate and the people

• the Romans required skills that enabled them to build their unique political institutions
• at first their city-states were ruled on the Etruscan model by powerful kings 
• the king was advised by a council of elders called the senate whose members were appointed
• he usually chose from the patricians or "men with fathers" ( men with fathers who already belonged to this hereditary group of leading families)
• when a king dies, his succors were chosen from the senate by the senate
• Republic - in reference to ancient Rome, the system of city-state government in which decision-making power was shared between the senate and assembly of male citizens
• plebeians - the Roman common people, including workers, small farmers, and wealthy people who were not patricians 
• Senate - in ancient Rome, a government assembly appointed by the king, and under the Republic by the consuls; originally all members were  patricians, but in time wealthy plebeians were appointed as well
• consuls - in the Roman republic , 2 senators who led the government and military for 1 year terms and appointed their own successor 
• dictator - in the Roman Republic, a single leader with full decision-making powers, appointed for a maximum of 6-months term during time of emergency 
• tribunes- magistrates elected by the plebeians who eventually gained the power to initiate and veto laws
• client - a person who provides personal services in return for money and protection from a patron
• patron - a wealthy person who supports others with money and protection in exchange for personal services 
• pontiff - in ancient Rome, one of the Republic's leading priests

"The separation of powers in the U.S. Constitution derives ultimately from the checks and balances between different branches of government in Roman city-state"

• paterfamilias - the "family father" in ancient Rome, who had unlimited power over his household 
• matron - title of honor given to a married woman in ancient Rome