EARLY ROME

Unit 6

FOUNDING OF ANCIENT ROME

Romulus and Remus

“Hut of Romulus”

Ancestors of the Trojans…Why did the Romans

attach themselves to Troy?

ROMAN ORIGINS

Roman BeginningsCarthage – 800 B.C.

Rome – 753 B.C.

Syracuse – 734 B.C.

Founded in 753 B.C.

Etruscans to the North, Greeks in the South

Weak historical evidence exists, much attributed to LivyHe wrote to glorify the Roman Republic during its fall

Annales maximi – yearly posting of important events. These are unfortunately lost, so were are unsure

how accurate the history is

Early History

Praenomen (first name) – General name

Nomen gentilicium (middle name) – Most important; Clan name

Cognomen (last name) – Family name; nickname; “branch” of the clan

Gaius Julius Caesar - Belongs to the family Julia, nicknamed Caesar

Women would only have one name, the feminine version of the family name….

M. Tullius Cicero’s Daughter - Tulia

Roman Names

Viewed their ancestors as outcasts and ethnically mixed

VERSION 1: Romulus granted land and

citizenship to criminalsRape of the Sabine women

VERSION 2:Ancestors of Aeneas, a

Trojan hero. Wandered to Italy after the fall of Troy and married a Latin princess

Who were the Romans?

VERY IMPORTANT: Gave the Romans a sense of shared identity!

GEOGRAPHY

FROM VILLAGE TO CITY

Huts on the Palatine hill date to 1000 B.C.

Forum – Drained and paved in about 650 B.C.Open, public spaceWhat does this

compare to?

About 500 B.C. – wealthy moving to the Palatine hill

The EtruscansNot sure where they came

from

Probably developed from the Villanovan culture

First iron age civilization in Italy

Developed urbanization, stone houses, public architecture, and anthropomorphic religion

Government and Society in the Early Republic“Seven Kings of Rome”

Tarquinius Superbus, Lucretia, Junius Brutus (Expelled in 510 B.C.??)

Military, judicial and religious branches of govt.

Slaves and free (citizens and non-citizens)

Military service mandatory; fought in phalanx; landowning wealthy families dominatedIdentified by clans, grouped into tribes for

voting

The Ruling ClassAssembly – all citizens

voted

Consuls – two chief magistrates, elected every yearWhy?

Senate – advise magistrates; “council of elders”They were families

descendent from the kings of Rome

Comitia centuriata – “centuriate assembly”; most important assembly

• 35 total tribes• Elected many official positions

• Made up of wealthy soldiers; overruled the poorer classes

• Included a lot of cavalry• Military exploits were important

• Patron-client relationship• Leaves the poorest out of the

equation!

The Ruling ClassImperium – signified power to command the

army, condemn people to deathHad civil, judicial, and military aspectCould only be used OUTSIDE of the city; unless for

a triumphVery important – keep this in mind when we discuss

Julius Caesar!

Praetor – public judge; name for consuls prior to their establishment

Censors – recorded population for citizenship; primarily for military serviceAlso had power over senatorial membership

The Ruling ClassThe Senate technically had no legal

authority

All they could do was SUGGEST legislation

Over time, this began to carry a lot of weight

Often the committees would not pass legislation without the recommendation of the Senate

PATRICIANS

PLEBIANS

494 B.C.

ISSUES:Debt PeonageLand reformWritten Laws

Plebians seceded! One consul HAS to be a plebian. Created the tribune. Held veto power and could NOT be harmed

CONFLICT OF THE “ORDERS”

Twelve TablesFirst public statement

of Roman law471 B.C. – concilium

plebis, “council of the plebs”

After 342 B.C. one consul was always a plebian

172 B.C. – both consuls were plebs for the first time

Plebeians slowly began to integrate themselves

Novus Homo – “new man”First of the family

to achieve a magistracy

Dictator – absolute authority; elected temporarily in times of need

Rome’s Expansion396 B.C. - Latins banded

together, defeated Veii

First professional army ever

Only those with land were eligible for the army

Poor citizens used the scutum

Cincinnatus519-430 B.C.

Dictator of Rome twice

Model of virtue, civic leadership, humility and lack of personal ambition

Cincinnati, Ohio is named after him

Sack of Rome390 B.C. – sacked by the

Gauls

Most likely on their way to Syracuse

EFFECT: Potentially destroyed a TON of ancient Roman historical sources

Rome’s Expansion343-290 B.C. -

Samnite Wars

Continued to expand, made peace with neighboring peoplesCreated a

Commonwealth of allies

Roman Governance/MilitaryAppian Way – road from

Rome to Capua

Rome ruled liberally; primarily were interested in soldiers Extended citizenship to some

conquered peoples, but not othersLegion – approx. 5,000

men

Century – approx. 70-90 men

Maniple – about 120-160 men Approx. two centuries

Pyrrhic War 280-275 B.C.

Rome is attacked south of Tarentum

Greeks call upon Pyrrhus of Epirus This is the first time Rome is fighting a

Hellenistic army

Pyrrhus wins successive battles, but eventually loses the war

EFFECT: Rome now controls the entire Italian Peninsula!

“Pyrrhic Victory”

What major issue does this illustrate about fighting the Roman Republic?