Lay the Foundations For an Empire 500 to 300 BCE
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Transcript of Lay the Foundations For an Empire 500 to 300 BCE
Lay the Foundations For an Empire 500 to 300
BCE
The legendary beginnings of Rome
753 BCE A Trojan prince by
the name of Aeneas survived the Trojan War
He journeyed to Italy and founded a new civilization
Power struggles ensued between his descendents
The Plot Thickens One descendent
Rhea Silvia was persecuted by an evil uncle
Mars, the God of War, was angered by this, and impregnated Rhea Silvia
Romulus and Remus Twins were born and
their evil uncle feared them so he left them out to die
A she-wolf found them and nursed them to health
They grew strong and proud and then destroyed their evil uncle
Conflict and Resolution Soon a power
struggle developed between the brothers
Romulus destroyed Remus in combat and named the new city after himself
Rome in 509 BCE The Battle for Survival
Rome was a small city in Italy
The dominant tribe at the time, were the Etruscans from the north
The Etruscans had a monarchy and wanted to control the Romans
509 BCE The Birth of a Republic
The Romans defeated the Etruscans and set up a republic
In a republic, there is no monarch
Class WarfarePatricians were wealthy landowners
Plebeians were artisans and business people
2 Branches of Government
The Legislative Branch was the Roman Senate
The Senate only represented the Patricians
A Consul was in charge of the Executive Branch
The Military CardThe Plebeians felt exploited
They decided to refuse military service until represented
Bicameral Legislature and Due Process
The Assembly of Tribes became the lower house of the legislature
The 12 Tables was a consistent legal code
In Rome, all enjoyed the concept of equal protection under the law
The Building Block of Society
Healthy families meant a healthy society
The Father was the undisputed leader
Obedient children grew into loyal soldiers and citizens
300 BCE Buckle-UP
The entire Mediterranean Area was about to be hit by a force the world had yet to see
This was a civilization that really had its act together!