Essential Questions Describe the social structure of Rome. What is the difference between the Centuriate and Tribal Assemblies? What were the Twelve Tables? What was the major result of the Punic Wars?

Ancient Rome Notes Roman Republic

Republic (“public affairs”) A form of government in which power rest with citizens who have the right to vote to select their leaders Citizenship with voting rights was granted only to free-born citizens

Social Structure Patricians  rich landowners who inherited their power and social status; held most of the power in Rome Plebeians commoners, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the population; citizens who could vote, could not hold important government positions Slaves  captured peoples during the wars; made to work on the latifundia, huge estates; were one-third of the population

Patricians Slaves Plebeians

Citizenship Patricians and plebeians were both considered citizens, however voting rights were granted only to free-born male citizens Slaves in Rome were not considered citizens and had no rights in the government

Features of Democracy (Executive) Two Consuls  similar to kings, they commanded the army and directed the government power was limited because their term was only one year long and the a consul could not be re-elected for ten years one consul could always override, or veto, the other’s decisions

Features of Democracy (Legislative) Senate 300 members, chosen from the upper class of Roman society, later plebeians were allowed in the senate; membership was for life  control foreign and financial policies, advises consuls Centuriate Assembly all citizen-soldiers were members; a patrician-controlled assembly appointed the consuls and made laws; it had less power than the Senate Tribal Assembly  an assembly organized by the plebeians; elected the tribunes and made laws for the common people; later it won the right to make laws for the republic

Features of Democracy Legal Code plebeians forced the creation of a written law code; the laws were carved on twelve tablets, or table and hung in the Forum; the Twelve Tables established the idea that all free citizens had a right to the protection of the law

Ancient Rome Notes The Punic Wars

A Daring Expedition Hannibal (Carthage) assembled an army of 50,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 60 elephants with the intent of capturing Rome to surprise the Romans, Hannibal led his Carthaginian army on a long trek from Spain across France and through the Alps

Battle for Italy invaded northern Italy and lived off the land killed huge numbers of Romans in the Second Punic War and won his greatest victory at Cannae were stopped from capturing Rome

Death of Hannibal killed during the Second Punic War left the Carthage warriors with no leader and led to their loss at Zama Roman general, Scipio, led the attack

Carthage Destroyed during the Third Punic War, Carthage was no longer a threat to Rome, but Rome wanted to revenge all their deaths in Italy during the First Punic War Romans set the city on fire and sold 50,000 citizens into slavery

Rome Conquers Eastern Med. Spread Greco-Roman culture conquered Greece & Macedonia Expanded trade Changed the character of the Roman army guard large territory Created great wealth