1. Roman Republic
5.1

2. Early Peoples of Italy 800 BC Latins migrated into Italy
Herded and farmed
Romulus and Remus founded the city of Rome
Sons of a Latin woman and the war god Mars
Etruscans lived north of Rome
Ruled much of central Italy including Rome at one point
Romans learned quite a bit from the Etruscans
Adapted the Greek alphabet
Arch in construction
Engineering to drain marshy lands along the Tiber River
Gods and goddesses

3. Roman Republic Romans drove out the Etruscan King in 509 BC
Formed a res publica
That which belongs to the people
Thought this would prevent anyone from gaining too much power
Roman Senate
300 Patricians
Consuls nominated to supervise the business of government and command the armies
Dictator could be chosen in the event of a war

4. Organizing Society Patricians Plebeians Women Children
Landholding upper class
Held most of the political rights
Plebeians
Farmers, Merchants, Artisans
Legal citizens, with little political rights
Women
Could own property
Ran businesses
Most worked at home
Children
Both boys and girls were taught to read and write

5. Military Controlled most of the Italian Peninsula by 270 BC
Well trained army
Legion-basic military unit
5,000 citizen soldier
Made good solider because they were taught to value loyalty, courage and respect for authority
Conquered people had to acknowledge Roman leadership, pay taxes and supply soldiers
Some were given citizenship, others partial citizenship
Posted soldiers throughout the land and built a network of roads

6. From Republic to Empire
5.2

7. Building an Empire Punic Wars
1st Rome defeats Carthage winning Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia
2nd Carthage seeks revenge
Hannibal surprises the Romans and ransacked the Italian Peninsula for 15 years
Rome finally defeats Hannibal in Carthage
Carthage gives up all land outside Africa
3rd “Carthage must be destroyed”
Romans completely destroyed Carthage
Killed or enslaved survivors
While fighting Carthage in the west the empire was also expanding to the Hellenistic east

8. Life in Rome Conquests brought newfound trade and wealth
Latifundia
Slave labor hurts small farmers
New wealth leads to corruption and problems within Rome
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus
Attempted reforms
State to distribute land to poor farmers in 133 BC
Use of public funds to buy grain to feed the poor 143 BC
Senate saw them as a threat

9. The Declining Republic
Unable to solve problems civil war erupted
Who should hold power?
Soldiers were professionals who were loyal to their commander first
Julius Caesar
Dominated Roman politics with Pompey
58 BC Conquered Gaul
Pompey ordered Caesar to disband his army and return to Rome; Caesar disobeyed and when he did return he destroyed Pompey and his supporters