Rome:
- Geography: Built on 7 rolling hills around the Tiber River, near the center of the Italian peninsula; midway point between the Alps and Italy’s southern tip
- First Romans: Latins, Greeks, Etruscans. Latins built the original settlement at Rome; it was a cluster of wooden huts on top of 1 of the 7 hills (100 to 500 BC)
- Greek Influence: between 750 and 600 BC, Greeks established colonies along the southern part of Italy and Sicily. Cities became very prosperous and commercially active. They brought all of Italy, including Rome into closer contact with Greek civilization.
- Etruscans: Native to northern Italy, skilled metal workers and engineers, were very influential in the development of Roman civilization, Romans adopted their alphabet and some of their architecture (the arch)
- Republic- a form of government in which the power rests with citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders
- Citizenship-In Rome, citizenship with voting rights was granted only to free born adult male landowners
- Patricians- the wealthy landowners who held most of the power
- Plebeians- the common person, but could still vote; usually farmers and merchants
- Patricians and Plebeians- Patricians inherited their power and social status, and claimed that they had the right to rule due to their ancestry; they barred the Plebeians from holding high offices in the government.
- Tribunes- leaders of Rome allowed the Plebeians to form their own assembly and elect their own representatives to protect their rights from the Patrician officials.
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