1. The Roman Republic

2. The Founding of Rome Romulus and Remus:. Video
Think about these questions as you watch the video
Who is the father of Romulus and Remus?
What river were the babies sent to float down?
Who watched over Romulus and Remus?
Where did Romulus want to build his city?
Why did Romulus kill Remus?

3. People involved in the Republic Government
Plebeians:
Patricians:
Magistrates:
Consuls:
the group of common people or peasants in Rome who were calling for changing the government where they had more of a say in how the city was run. Plebeians held jobs like artisans, shopkeepers or small farm owners.
Roman nobles who ran the government. Only they could be elected to office, so they held all political power. Patricians were wealthy land owners and came from Rome’s oldest and most prominent families.
Elected government officials.
The title of the two most powerful magistrates. The consuls were chosen from administrators and army leaders.

4. Parts of the Roman Republic
Made up of three parts
1. Magistrates
2. Senate
3. Assembly

5. Part 1: Magistrates Who are Magistrates? What was their role?
were 20 elected officials who ruled for one year.
The magistrates performed many duties, acting as judges, tax collectors, and urban planners

6. Part 1: Magistrates Who are Consuls? What was their role?
How long did they serve?
The two highest magistrates were called Consuls. Was the most powerful political position in Rome.
The consuls issued laws and led the army. In order to prevent one person from becoming too powerful, each consul could veto the decisions of the other.
Additionally, consuls, like the other magistrates, only served for one year. Short terms prevented any one person from becoming too powerful.

7. Part 2: Roman Senate Who made up the Roman Senate?
How long did you serve?
What was their role?
was made up of 300 men, who at first were only selected from the patrician class
Senators were elected and held their offices for life.
First the Senate’s only job was to advise the consuls, but over time, it gained power.
eventually becoming the most important part of the government and making decisions about laws, foreign policy, and finance.

8. Part 3: Roman Assembly What did the Assembly do?
Who was apart of the Assembly?
What power did the Assembly have ?
Protected the rights of the plebeians. The plebeians had an assembly, or lawmaking body, of their own called the Council of the Plebs.
This assembly could elect ten officials, called tribunes, or tribunes of the plebs.
The tribunes had the power to veto the actions of the consuls or the Senate.
The veto power meant that this group of tribunes had the ability to limit what the Senate and the consuls could do, which made them very powerful.

9. Representative Government
What is a representative government?
leaders are elected by the people to serve in government and represent the views of the entire society.
Rome, unlike in Athens, not everyone’s views were represented. However, the idea of elected officials serving the interests of the entire society was an important innovation in political thought.

10. Separation of power
no one person, group, or branch of government has all the power.
This idea was central to the creation of the United States government.
The United States government is separated into three branches—the legislative, executive, and judicial branches—each with their own powers and responsibilities.
What does this mean?
Modern Day Example

11. Office of Dictator
The Romans believed that there were times when the republic needed a strong leader. In the Roman Republic, the consuls resigned during difficult or dangerous times
The senate appointed a dictator to lead the people. After the crisis was over, the dictator was expected to give up his power, and the regular government’s power would be restored.
How does this version of a dictator compare with the dictator definition you are familiar with?

12. Cincinnatus & Civic Duty
A respected Roman consul who was known for his loyalty to Rome. When a powerful enemy of Rome threatened to destroy the Roman Army, the senate appointed Cincinnatus as dictator.
Messengers were sent to his farm to tell him about his appointment. They found him plowing his fields.
He accepted the role of dictator and created an army.
He led his army into battle and easily defeated the enemy. After marching his army back to Rome he resigned as dictator and returned to his farm.
Why do you think the Romans admired Cinncinatus?

13. Civic Duty
Civic duty is the idea that citizens have a responsibility to help their country.
What civic duties do you have to your:
Community
School
Friends
Family

14. First Written Laws Roman laws were not written down.
Plebeians demanded laws be written down for fair judgement.
In 451 B.C Rome adopted first written code of laws known as the Twelve Tables.
Twelve tables supported the idea that all free citizens—patricians and plebeians—had the right to be treated equally.
What do you think our society would be like without any written laws? What are some pros and cons?

15. Twelve Tables
If you are called to appear in court you have to go.  If you don't you can be arrested and forced to go. 
If you need a witness in court and they refuse to go you can stand in front of their house and shout out how they are refusing to do their duty as a citizen.  You can do this once every three days.
Should a tree on a neighbor's farm be bent by the wind and lean over onto your farm, you can go to court and get the tree cut down.
If fruit falls from your trees it is yours no matter where it falls.
If you lied in court you would be thrown off of the Tarpeian Rock.
You could not hold a political or business meeting at night.  Dinner parties and religious festivals at night were ok.
Everyone who died had to buried or burned outside the city.
Rich people could not marry poor people and vice versa (plebeians and patricians).  This law did get changed later.

16. Roman Justice
The ideas found in Roman Laws are woven throughout the American legal system.
The rule of law is one of the key ideas that the Romans passed on to the world.
Like the Roman legal system, we assume that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
The rule of law means that laws apply to everyone equally. It also means that the legal systems should treat everyone the same way.