The Roman Republic
Etruscans
Three named divinities
Last king overthrown in 509 BC, hence the founding of Rome
Roman Republic
OVERVIEW
Beginning in 509 BC, and subsequently the founding of Rome took Place
The republic is a form of democracy. It was much more like today, you vote for someone who is actually representative. Idea of representative government
They formed a constitution with 3 main divisions, 2 consuls
2 Consuls: One consul for military and one for civic elected every single year
Senate (comes from word older, wiser men)
300 of them
Elected for life
They could not vote, only assemblies of people could vote
They were merely advisory
Older, well established, distinguished military histories
Senate was very conservative
Assemblies
Made of all male citizens
They actually to vote
STRUGGLE OF THE ORDERS
Patricians
Wealthy backgrounds, had things at the beginning of the republic
Just about 5-7% at early republic could claim to be patricians
Plebeians
Didn’t have lots of land, or big businesses, couldn’t claim noble lineage
Through time they gain more wealth and land (through some conquests) and are in a position to start challenging the authority of individuals who called themselves patricians.
Pretty soon that distinction is erased
Started to challenge the rights that patricians had given themselves
Said they needed a written law code, they convinced the patricians to write down the law (law of 12 tables)
Law of Twelve Tables
One of few times where it is internally peaceful
Did this change peaceful within the constitution, there are slow changes. Beginning of republic seen as “good ol’ days”
Constitutional Changes
Done peacefully, looked back on them fondly
The below allowed for peaceful change that did and could happen, showed constitution was well written, solid. Even our founding fathers based our law on roman laws (innocent till proven guilty ex)
First grappled with natural law – are their laws that supersede any kind of law that man can legislate (most would say murder and incest are wrong, you cannot say those are okay) some things so big and horrible that you cannot legislate
Very legalistic and very specific and helped to keep Roman Republic together
Times are a’ changing for All (social class)
545, Plebs could marry patricians and at least through them you could
50% of top positions could then go to plebs
300 Plebs can have position of chief priesthoods (gave them lots of power and wealth)
287 Plebs could pass laws that everyone would have to obey; binding on all Romans
Punic Wars
Between 264-146
Between Rome and Carthage (a Venetian colony)
Venetian colonies in north Africa: Latin word for Venetian was Punic
Legendary cause
Written and relates to Trojan War (with homer we saw that Greeks defeated Trojans and left troy in ruins) what happened to Trojans??? That is where the Romans pick up. They say they were related to defeated Trojans.
Aeneid By Virgil: great piece of propaganda
Virgil says that Romans were founded by Aeneas, Roman prince, he was to take his people and found a new city
Aeneas is leaving Troy while it burns and he has his wife and little son and they are all leaving to find new land. Eventually his wife gets lost but he still has his father and son (representing past and future)
Finds himself in Carthage and finds magnificent city. Venetian Queen Dido falls in love with him and he liked her too and they have an affair and he lingers.
Dido thinks this is a big commitment and they can rule the city together but Aeneas is a stupid man and he thinks this isn’t his destiny. He is told he needs to take his people and found Rome to fulfill his own destiny
Dido’s curse: Dido finds out he is leaving and she says that she curses him and his people to perpetuity forever… then she commits suicide. This is used by Romans to explain why certain things go wrong & why they have to conquer Carthage. this is the legend of why they had to conquer people of Carthage
Real Cause
Economics &