The Roman Republic

Around 900 BC the Greeks came into contact with the Italian peoples.

This proved to be both good and bad.

Good Italy

1. in the middle of the Mediterranean

2. rich soil

3. mild climate

4. protected by mountains

1. silting rivers created mosquito infested swamps

2. mountains cover 3/4 of Italy

3. rocky coast

Bad Italy

When the Greeks arrived, the Etruscans ruled northern Italy. (We still haven’t translated their writings.) After several attempts, the Etruscan underclasses freed themselves of the wealthy overlords and priests that had been controlling their society.

Most notable among these rebels were the Latins from Latium. Their center

was the city of Rome. This was created by seven villages on seven hills

surrounding a valley who agreed to form a single community.

Around 620 BC, an Etruscan family called the Tarquins gained control of Rome, teaching them how to build with brick, roof their houses, drain marshland, lay out streets, and draw cartoons.

Roman!

New, wealthy aristocrats declared Rome a republic. These wealthy aristocrats were called patricians. Most of Rome’s inhabitants were plebeians, who had all rights of citizenship but were poor.

In 534 BC, Tarquin the Proud was such a cruel king that the Romans drove him out.

Patricians could hold public office, plebeians could not. Patricians organized the Roman gov’t into two branches: executive and legislative.

Plebeians refused to join army unless the Patricians met their demands:

1. Allowed Plebian representatives - tribunes - who had veto power.

2. Improved Plebeian social status.

3. No more enslavement for debt.

4. Allowed marriage between Plebeians and Patricians.

5.Written laws instead of common law.

Roman religion borrowed Greek gods and gave them Roman names.

Greek

• Aphrodite

• Ares

• Zeus

Roman

• Venus

• Mars

• The Etruscan god Jupiter

Roman Family Life

• father in charge

• educated sons

• harsh discipline

• valued the “state”

• extended families

• could sell kids or wife

• trained to be soldiers & farmers

• trained in morality

Rome set up a constitution that gave power to the citizens

(male land owners) much like the Greeks, but more

complex.