Chapter 6: The Roman Republic

Chapter 6 

•  The rise of Rome began as continuation of Greece's westward expansion through the Mediterranean Sea, which brought the Greek model of civilization to the peoples of Italy during the eighth century 
• about 500 B.C. Rome became a Greek-style city-state that was no longer ruled by kings, but the Roman government system-- the republic, as they called it -- was for several centuries more stable and more effective than any in Greece
• in five centuries Rome became the center of an empire that stretched from the borders of Mesopotamia to the Atlantic Ocean 
• The Romans not only imitated Greek civilization, they improved it especially in warfare and government.

                                       Italy

• The Greeks arrived in a Mediterranean land with farming resources that were similar to those of the Greeks 
• Etruscans and Greeks came into Italy but the Latin people came first  
• Our letters are formed based on how the Latins and the Greeks did it 
• Italy was situated astride the Mediterranean commanding in every direction 
• the Indo-Europeans settlers formed various tribes among the Latin people of central Italy 
• They adopted features for their tribes from other cultures 

                                     Roman Republic

• at first their city state was ruled on the Etruscan model by powerful kings, including actual Etruscan conquerors 
• the king was advised by a council of elders called the Senate whose members were appointed 
• Senate meant "old men"
• senate men came rom the Patricians 
• the government of the Roman city state became officially the "people's business" in Latin
• Roman Republic underwent a turbulent under the influence of social struggles 
• the result however, was a system of government that a neither 

                                    Patricians and Plebeians

• the plebeians at first deferred to patrician rule, but as Rome grew and the plebeians became more numerous and often wealthier
• the Patricians are the upper class Romans coming form the noble families meaning they have political power and own land and stuff
• Plebeians were the common people
• plebeians owned a lot of farms to grow food and sell it 
• patricians had people work on their farms for them
• senate men were patricians 
• among the chief complaints of the plebeians was that they lack legal protection
• before the fifth century B.C. there had been no written code of law 
• 450 B.C. in response to the plebeians demand Roman laws were set in writing

                                     Mixed Government 

• The republic still rested in the hands of the senate and though plebeians could now join the senate only the wealthy could afford to do 

                                    Republican Values 

• the communities survival and prosperity depended on god or goddesses who was thought to tale a particular interest in its destiny 
• by the time of he republic Rome had a special relationships with three deities

                    Citizens and the community 

• people believed men should fight and women should take care of their families
• Rome had no right or duty to share in politics and government 

Community of the Family