Roman Origins and Early Political Structures

6th Grade UBD - Unit 7 - Roman Origins and Early Political Structures

Preview

Rome’s Early Influences- The ancient Greek

and Etruscan cultures greatly influenced the

early city of Rome.

The Roman Republic- The Roman Republic was

a government in which the people elected their

leaders.

The Punic Wars- Between 264 and 146 BCE,

Rome fought three wars against the powerful city

of Carthage. They are known as the Punic Wars.

Reach Into Your Background

In your own words

identify and explain

what laws are. Then

analyze why people

have laws written

down and how laws

affect your life. (5

minutes)

Partner Activity

Work with a neighbor and compare your answer with theirs. What things are the same and what things are different? (3 minutes)

Key Ideas- Rome’s Early Influences

According to the Roman legends, descendants of the Trojan hero

Aeneas founded Rome.

Rome was ruled by Etruscan kings, who had overthrown the Latin

kings.

The Romans may have adopted the Etruscan alphabet. They also

may have taken on Etruscan and Greek gods. Their political

philosophy came from Greece.

The cultures that influenced Rome in its early history helped

create Roman political philosophy and society. These have, in

turn, affected many modern cultures.

The More You Know

The official language

of the ancient

Romans was Latin.

Latin is the basis for

a number of different

languages, including

Italian, French, and

Spanish.

The AeneidVideo- The Aeneid

Key Term

The Aeneid- A

poem, written

by Virgil, that

tells the story of

Aeneas, a Trojan

who travelled to

Italy, in search

of a new home,

which he found

in Rome.

The Roots of Roman Civilization

Much information

about the Romans

comes from Roman

historians and poets.

Virgil, a Roman

writer, describes the

story of Rome’s

creation in his epic

poem, The Aeneid.

The Roots of Roman Civilization

The Aeneid, which

follows Trojan War

hero Aeneas as he

leaves Troy and

settles in central

Italy. 

According to Virgil,

one of Aeneas’s

descendants,

Romulus, built the

city of Rome.

The AeneidReading Handout- The Aeneid

The EtruscansVideo- The Etruscans

Key Term

The Etruscans-

The Etruscans

lived on the

Italian peninsula.

Although Rome

flourished under

the Etruscans,

the Romans

rebelled and

overthrew the

Etruscans in 509

BCE.

The Roots of Roman Civilization

Greek culture,

politics, religion,

and philosophy

influenced the

Romans, as did

the Etruscans who

had already

settled in Italy.

The Etruscans

The Etruscans were

responsible for many of

Rome’s large temples

and the Roman Forum.

They also gave the

Romans their alphabet,

numerals, fashion, and

art.

The Etruscans

Both the Greeks and the

Etruscans influenced

Roman religion, and it

was dissatisfaction with

the Etruscan king

Tarquinius Superbus that

prompted the Romans to

establish a new form of

government.

Key Ideas- The Roman Republic

Roman citizens had certain rights and responsibilities.

Patricians had most of the power at first. However,

over time, plebeians fought for and won a major role

in their government.

Rome’s government was made up of three parts. Each

had the ability to limit the power of the other parts.

Romans created a written code of laws to be sure that

people were treated fairly.

Key Term

Republic- A

form of

government

in which

people elect

their

leaders.

Key Term

The Roman

Republic- A

period of the

ancient Roman

civilization when

the government

operated as a

republic and

began to expand,

conquering nearby

Etruscan states

until Rome ruled

all of central Italy.

Creating A RepublicVideo- Creating A Republic

The Roman Republic

After Tarquinius

Superbus was removed

from power, the Roman

people needed a new

form of government.

In about 509 BCE,

Romans established a

republic.

The Roman Republic

A republic, which is a

form of government in

which people elect their

leaders.

Although the new

government gave the

Roman people more

power than they had

had under Tarquinius, it

was not truly

democratic.

The Roman Republic

Three social

classes made up

Roman society.

These classes

were the

patricians, the

plebeians, and the

slaves.

The Roman Republic

Of the three social

classes present in

Rome at the time—

wealthy patricians,

common plebeians,

and slaves—only

patricians could hold

office. 

The Roman Republic

The plebeians were allowed

to vote in elections, but

they were not allowed full

participation in

government.

This angered the plebeians,

and they threatened to

create a new city with its

own government. 

The Roman Republic

Eventually, the

plebeians were able

to vote and hold

office as magistrates,

senators, or members

of the assembly.

These three branches

divided power and

responsibility.

The Roman Republic

Additionally, the

Senate had the

power to appoint a

dictator to lead the

republic for a

period of six

months during

times of war and

crisis.

Key Term

Dictator-

One ruler

with total

control

over the

governmen

t.

The Roman Republic

The new structure shared

similarities with the

government of ancient

Athens, which had a Council

of 500 and an assembly, but a

key difference was that

Athens was a direct

democracy while Rome was a

representative government.

Principles of Democracy

The new Roman government

served as a model for many

later governments, including

the government of the

United States.

No one person or group

could hold all the power, and

government responsibilities

were divided among several

branches.

Principles of Democracy

The U.S. government

is separated into

three branches.

Each branch has its

own powers. These

are the legislative,

executive, and

judicial branches.

Principles of Democracy

Rome’s government did not

have exactly the same

structure as the United

States has today.

Rome divided the

responsibility of governing

among three different

groups. These were the

magistrates and consuls, the

senate, and the assembly.

Code of Laws

The Romans also

started the democratic

tradition of recording

written laws. In 451

and 450 BCE, Rome’s

first written laws were

produced on 12

bronze tablets.

Code of Laws

Known as the Law of the

Twelve Tables, the laws

were displayed in the

Roman Forum for all to see.

Written laws remain an

important foundation of

the governments in many

countries today.

Learning from the PastVideo- Learning from the Past

The Republic Then and NowReading Handout- The Republic Then and Now

Key Ideas- The Punic Wars

In the first Punic War, Rome built up its navy and gained the

island of Sicily. It also gained power in the Mediterranean Sea.

In the second Punic War, the brilliant Carthaginian leader

Hannibal almost captured Rome. In the last Punic War, Rome

defeated and destroyed Carthage.

Through the Punic Wars, Rome gained power over the

Mediterranean and a large amount of territory in North Africa

and southern Europe. This growth of power began the spread

of the Roman Empire.

Key Term

Punic Wars-

Rome and

Carthage fought a

series of three

wars in 264–146

BCE. They were

battling for

control of the

Mediterranean

Sea. At the time,

Carthage was

also called the

Punic Empire.

The Punic Wars

The Punic Wars began

the spread of Roman

influence. Because

Rome wanted to control

Mediterranean shipping

lanes owned by

Carthage, three wars,

collectively known as

the Punic Wars, began.

The Punic Wars

In the first war, Rome

gained control of Sicily,

Sardinia, and Corsica.

In the second war,

Rome gained control of

modern-day Spain and

several of the

Mediterranean islands.

The Punic Wars

The final war lasted for

two years and resulted

in Rome’s taking control

of Carthage and all its

former territory in

Northern Africa.

Rome then owned most

of the land adjacent to

the Mediterranean sea.

Independent Activity

What has been

the “muddiest”

point so far in this

lesson? That is,

what topic

remains the least

clear to you?

(4 minutes)

Partner Activity

Work with a neighbor and compare your muddiest point with theirs. Compare what things are the same and what things are different? (3 minutes)