Analysis of the Week: Ancient Rome as a Republic
January 5, 2016
Directions: Annotate text, answer questions in boxes and be prepared for discussion on Thursday, January 8th
Who actually started the Empire of Rome? We know very little about this. We do know that Rome grew slowly, as the Romans fought their neighbors for more and more land.
A group of people, the Etruscans, took power in Rome about 600B.C. For a long time, Etruscan kings ruled over Rome. However, eventually, the Romans revolted and drove the Etruscans from power. This is when the Romans vowed never again to put so much trust in kings. The Romans wanted a government that did not rely on the will of one ruler.
So, this is what started a big change in Ancient Rome. The people created a new form of government. This new form of government was called a REPUBLIC. In a republic, citizens who have the right to vote select their own leaders. Then the leaders rule in the name of the people. The early Roman Republic was dominated by the aristocracy (the wealthy class). The aristocrats were the patricians.
The Roman Republic was led by two chief officials, called CONSULS. These consuls were considered the leaders and only patricians could be consuls. However, even though there were two leaders, the most powerful part of the government was a group called the SENATE. The Senate advised the Consuls on foreign affairs, laws and finances, among other things. Consuls almost always took the senate’s advice!
At first, the senate was made up of only 300 men. These men were also aristocrats -- patricians (members of the wealthy upper-class families). So basically, these lower-class citizens had virtually no say in the government. In the early Roman Republic the ordinary citizens (plebeians) could not hold office or be senators.
Tradition also dictated that patricians and plebeians should be strictly separated; marriage between the two classes was even prohibited. Over time, the plebeians elected their own representatives, called tribunes, and gained the power to veto, or reject measures passed by the senate. Today, in our democratic government, the term “veto” means the rejection of a bill by the President of the United States or the rejection of a bill by a state governor.
There was much trouble that continued to arise between patricians and plebeians. As Rome continued to gain control of more and more land by conquering other places, the patricians took riches from the people that Rome conquered. These riches helped the patricians buy land from small farmers to create huge farms for themselves. Slaves brought back from conquest worked on these farms and as a result, plebeian farmers found themselves without work. The cities were filled with jobless plebeians. Mistrustfulof the patrician senate, more and more plebeians formed groups to protect their own interests.
Eventually, angry plebeians refused to fight in the Roman army. It was then that the patricians gave in to one of the main demands of the plebeians – a written code of laws called the “Laws of the Twelve Tables”. The Twelve Tables applied equally to all citizens.
These laws were engraved on tablets of metal and put in the forum (the public square) for everyone to read. These laws remained there, on display, throughout the time period that Rome was a republic. These laws were called the Twelve Tables because there were twelve different sections. These laws covered crime, property matters and family matters like marriage and inheritance. It did not matter if you were rich or poor – the laws applied to every citizen. The laws were rather harsh, compared to our laws, but they did guarantee equal treatment.
Some examples from the Twelve Tables:
Females shall remain in guardianship even when they have attained their majority (reaching majority means that they have reached the threshold of adulthood – in our society it is basically the age of 21)
It is permitted to gather fruit falling down on another man's farm.
If any person has sung or composed against another person a song such as causing slander or insult to another, he shall be clubbed to death.
Quickly kill ... a dreadfully deformed child.
Gradually, the plebeians obtained more power and eventually could hold the position of consul in the Roman Republic government. In 367B.C. at least ONE consul had to be a plebeian. From that point on, plebeians could also be senators.
Despite these changes, though, the patricians were still able to use their wealth to buy control and influence over elected leaders.