The Rise of the Roman RepublicStudy guide

 How did Rome’s location affect its

rise?Rome was located in central Italy, an ideal location for the Republic’s rise. It was surrounded by Alps as a natural protective wall on the north, and seas in the other directions, which works as defense naturally.

What is a Republic and how did it work in Rome?

What is a Republic: A republic is a system of government in which citizens choose representatives to govern on their behalf.

How did it work:Please Refer to “How did the Roman government function” .

What internal struggles did the Roman republic have?

During the rise of Roman republic, there were a few struggles between the Plebeians and the Patricians. The Plebeians were not able to hold any political, military or religious offices and were treated unfairly. For example: If they borrowed money from the Patricians, they would have to become the servant (who gets treated almost like a slave) of the Patricians until they got enough money to buy their freedom back (which rarely happened). The Plebeians decided they had suffered enough in 494 B.C and withdrew from Rome. After that, they formed their own assembly, which was known as the Council of Plebeians.

What internal struggles did the Roman republic have? (Cont.)

The Patricians knew that Rome would not be able to survive without the Plebeians since nobody would do the work; the Patricians let the Plebeians keep their own assembly and tribunes. That was one of the struggles. Next, the Plebeians demanded that laws that passed by their assembly apply to both Plebeians and Patricians. This time, the Patricians finally agreed to meet the demands of the Plebeians in 287B.C.

How did the concept of equality impact people’s lives?

Not all people in Rome were equal. Plebeians had less rights than Patricians until they fought for their equality and eventually made it equal. The adult male citizens had certain rights such as owning property and voting, but women citizens had limited rights. They were protected by the Roman laws but could not vote or take part in the government. Slaves and war captives were owned by citizens and had no rights.

How did the Roman government function?

The republic of Rome grew more democratic as the Plebeians gained power. During 367 B.C., the Roman government had to be headed by two consuls and one of them had to be a Plebeian. The consuls had the same powers as the early kings, but with two important limitations. The councils were elected to serve only for one year to avoid one-person rule and that each consul could veto (object) other’s actions. The consuls carried on daily business of the government, commanded the army and were advised by the Senate of about 300 citizens.

How did the Roman government function? (Cont.)

The Senate, which was mostly made up of members of wealthy families, controlled the Roman treasury and foreign policy. Although the position of the consuls changed each year, the senators held their positions for life. The Senate was the most powerful group in the government of Rome. Candidates for consul were elected by citizen assemblies, and the citizen assemblies also had the power to approve or disapprove laws proposed by the Senate. This left the government of the republic spreading its power among many groups.

Early Expansion While Rome was developing its Republic, the battles roared outside the walls of Rome. Year after year, Rome tried to conquer its neighbors and expand their territory. At that time, the Roman army wasn’t so strong and did not always win their battles. In 390 B.C. , Rome was attacked and destroyed by the Gauls, some warlike people from the North. Even though Rome was destroyed, is successfully rebuilt and continued to grow. By 338 B.C. , Rome had conquered Latium and Etruria, and in 275 B.C. , Rome ruled the whole Italian peninsula.

Early Expansion (Cont.) Rome was extremely successful considering the fact that instead of punishing the people who lived in the land that they conquered, they made them into allies. As allies, they had to fight for Rome in any future wars that might happen while Rome protected them and shared profits they earned from the wars. Sometimes, Rome even granted citizenship to the conquered people while letting them keep their own customs and language! Rome had more citizens and strong soldiers than any Mediterranean countries by 270 B.C. and conquered the whole Mediterranean world during the next century.

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