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Roman Republic. 5.1. Early Peoples of Italy. 800 BC Latins migrated into Italy Herded and farmed Romulus and Remus founded the city of Rome Sons of a Latin woman and the war god Mars Etruscans lived north of Rome Ruled much of central Italy including Rome at one point
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Roman Republic 5.1
Early Peoples of Italy • 800 BC Latins migrated into Italy • Herded and farmed • Romulus and Remus founded the city of Rome • Sons of a Latin woman and the war god Mars • Etruscans lived north of Rome • Ruled much of central Italy including Rome at one point • Romans learned quite a bit from the Etruscans • Adapted the Greek alphabet • Arch in construction • Engineering to drain marshy lands along the Tiber River • Gods and goddesses
Roman Republic • Romans drove out the Etruscan King in 509 BC • Formed a respublica • That which belongs to the people • Thought this would prevent anyone from gaining too much power • Roman Senate • 300 Patricians • Consuls nominated to supervise the business of government and command the armies • Dictator could be chosen in the event of a war
Organizing Society • Patricians • Landholding upper class • Held most of the political rights • Plebeians • Farmers, Merchants, Artisans • Legal citizens, with little political rights • Women • Could own property • Ran businesses • Most worked at home • Children • Both boys and girls were taught to read and write
Military • Controlled most of the Italian Peninsula by 270 BC • Well trained army • Legion-basic military unit • 5,000 citizen soldier • Made good solider because they were taught to value loyalty, courage and respect for authority • Conquered people had to acknowledge Roman leadership, pay taxes and supply soldiers • Some were given citizenship, others partial citizenship • Posted soldiers throughout the land and built a network of roads
Building an Empire • Punic Wars • 1st Rome defeats Carthage winning Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia • 2nd Carthage seeks revenge • Hannibal surprises the Romans and ransacked the Italian Peninsula for 15 years • Rome finally defeats Hannibal in Carthage • Carthage gives up all land outside Africa • 3rd “Carthage must be destroyed” • Romans completely destroyed Carthage • Killed or enslaved survivors • While fighting Carthage in the west the empire was also expanding to the Hellenistic east
Life in Rome • Conquests brought newfound trade and wealth • Latifundia • Slave labor hurts small farmers • New wealth leads to corruption and problems within Rome • Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus • Attempted reforms • State to distribute land to poor farmers in 133 BC • Use of public funds to buy grain to feed the poor 143 BC • Senate saw them as a threat
The Declining Republic • Unable to solve problems civil war erupted • Who should hold power? • Soldiers were professionals who were loyal to their commander first • Julius Caesar • Dominated Roman politics with Pompey • 58 BC Conquered Gaul • Pompey ordered Caesar to disband his army and return to Rome; Caesar disobeyed and when he did return he destroyed Pompey and his supporters