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THE ROMAN REPUBLIC

Updated: Feb 5, 2019







THE ETRUSCANS ... first settlers around 9OO BC



Rome was only a small settlement when the ETRUSCANS dominated the lands north. Little is known about these people, other than they had their own language, writing and art. Their art and gods influenced the early development of early Rome. In 5O9 Rome eventually overthrew their dominance and they were then assimilated into the Roman Republic.


THE BIRTH OF ROME AND ITS REPUBLIC


THE MYTHS


Legend has it that Aeneas a Trojan Warrior came to Rome after the Trojan War and was one of the first god fathers of the future Eternal City. This hero connected Rome to the glory of the Trojan Empire.


A second legend tells of the birth of Rome itself. Two brothers Romulus and Remus children of Mars the god of war, were captured by a jealous king and ordered to be drown, however a shewolf


rescued them and then a shepherd raised them.

The twins eventually established a town by the river Tiber but then Romulus killed his brother - the city became Rome.






THE EARLY ROMAN REPUBIC


REPLACED A HISTORY OF POWERFUL KINGS WHO HAD RULED SMALL CITY STATES AFTER THE ETRUSCANS - IT WAS MORE DEMOCRATIC

1. THE ROMANS IN ROME DEPOSED THESE LOCAL KINGS AND CREATED A NEW FORM OF GOVERNMENT

CALLED THE REPUBLIC - CITIZENS COULD VOTE TO SELECT THEIR NEW LEADERS


2. ROME WAS RULED BY 2 CHIEF OFFICIALS - CALLED CONSULS WHO COULD ONLY RULE FOR 1 YEAR


3. ANOTHER ARM OF THE GOVERNMENT WAS THE SENATE MADE UP OF 3OO MEN CALLED PATRICIANS - THEY WERE WEALTHY ROMANS WHO OWNED LAND




THE SIGNATURE OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC AND EMPIRE

S•P•Q•R

SENÃTUS POPULUS QUE RÕMÃNUS


LATIN FOR


'THE SENATE AND PEOPLE OF ROME'



APPEARED ON ROMAN CURRENCY


AND STILL TODAY IN ROME




4. ORDINARY PEOPLE WERE CALLED PLEBIANS


5. ONLY PATRICIANS COULD BE SENATORS OR CONSULS UNTIL 367 BC


6. BOTH CONSULS HAD TO BE IN AGREEMENT TO MAKE A DECISION / THE VETO


7. IF THEY DISAGREED IN AN EMERGENCY A DICTATOR WOULD BE APPOINTED TO RULE


8. ROME QUICKLY EXPANDED ITS TERRITORIES WITHIN 25O YEARS ALL OF THE ITALIAN PENINSULAR, AND THEN BEYOND

ROME'S POWER 2ND CENTURY BC


9. AS ROME GREW MORE POWERFUL THE PATRICIANS GREW MORE WEALTHY - MORE PLEBIAN FARMLAND WAS AQUIRED FROM LOCAL FARMERS, CAPTURED SLAVES WORKED ON THE NEW FARMS PUTTING PLEBIANS OUT OF WORK - THIS CREATED A TENSION BETWEEN THE PATRICIANS AND THE PLEBIANS WHO EVENTUALLY REFUSED TO FIGHT IN THE ARMY - NEW LAWS WERE PASSED TO GIVE PLEBIANS MORE POWER


1O. ROME EXPANDED WAGED WAR ON AND EVENTUALLY DEFEATED CARTHAGE (PRESENT DAY TUNISIA ) WHO WERE THE RIVAL POWER IN NORTH AFRICA


11. THEY EXPANDED INTO GREECE AND SPAIN

LAST YEARS OF THE REPUBLIC


1. INSPITE OF THEIR MANY VICTORIES AND EXPANSION BY 12O BC ROME FELL INTO CIVIL CHAOS - OVER THE NEXT 75 YEARS CIVIL DISORDER WEAKEND THE REPUBLIC



2. AMID THIS DISORDER JULIUS CEASAR ROSE UP AS A STRONG LEADER AND MILITARY COMMANDER


3. In 55 BC CEASAR invades BRITAIN - THE ROMANS BUILT MANY ROADS AND ESTABLISHED THE CITY OF LONDINIUM


THEY BROUGHT THEIR TECHNOLOGY TO BRITAIN

roads baths buildings




THERMAL TECHNOLOGY - HEATED BATHS



WATER

WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE GROWTH OF THE REPUBLIC

THEY INVENTED AN INGENIUS WAY OF DELIVERY


AQUEDUCTS


A VIDEO I MADE WITH ARCHAEOLOGIST Dr DARIUS ARYA ON ROMAN AQUEDUCTS


HADRIAN'S WALL


LATER IN THE TIME OF EMPEROR HADRIAN AD 122 THEY WOULD BUILD A 117 Km WALL ON THE NORTHERN BORDER OF BRITAIN



4. FROM 58 BC TO 51 BC CEASAR LED HIS ARMY INTO AND DEFEATED GAUL (FRANCE)


5. IN 49 BC CAESAR RETURNED TO ROME EAGER FOR POWER AND IN OPPOSITION TO THE SENATE


6. CAESAR WAS A VERY POPULAR MILITARY GENERAL AND LIKED BY THE GENERAL POPULATION OF ROME


7. He made an alliance with Queen Cleopatra of Egypt.


CLEOPATRA'S ENTRANCE INTO ROME


8. CAESAR'S BATTLE WITH THE ROMAN SENATE RESULTED IN A VICTORY FOR CAESAR AND HIM BEING APPOINTED AS DICTATOR OF ROME


9. UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP SOME ELEMENTS OF THE REPUBLIC REMAINED, HE RULED WITH GREAT POWER BECOMING THE ONLY ROMAN CONSUL BUT HE REMAINED UNPOPULAR WITH THE SENATE


1O. THE SENATE THOUGHT HE WAS BECOMING LIKE A KING AND TAKING THE COUNTRY BACK INTO PRE REPUBLICAN TIMES WHEN KINGS RULED ROME


11. ON THE 15TH OF MARCH 44BC CAESAR WAS ASSASINATED BY A GROUP OF SENATORS IN THE SENATE




9. THE NEXT 13 YEARS CIVIL WAR ERUPTED IN ROME

THE BIRTH OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE


1O. THE ROMAN REPUBLIC HAD LASTED FOR 5OO YEARS, IT HAD ESTABLISHED ROME AS A MAJOR POWER IN THE REGION BUT BECAUSE OF THE CIVIL WAR BREAKING ROME APART IT WAS TIME FOR THE REPUBLIC TO BE REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT SYSTEM.


WHEN THE CIVIL WAR FINALLY ENDED IT WAS OCTAVIAN CAESAR'S ADOPTED SON WHO THE SENATE MADE THE FIRST EMPEROR OF THE ROMAN TERRITORIES

HE WAS THEN CALLED AUGUSTUS CAESAR


CLASS EXERCISE - DISCIPLINE

THE DISCIPLINE OF ROMAN SOLDIERS MARCHING

• • •

'Legio aeterna victrix!

Roma o Roma!'

(Eternal legion victorious! Rome oh Rome!)



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