Roman Geography
•Rome was built on 7 rolling hills around the Tiber River, near the center of the Italian peninsula
•It is the midway point between the Alps and Italy southern trip
First Romans
•From 1000 to 500 BC three groups inhabited the region and fought for control of it
•Latins, Greeks, and Etruscans
•Latins built original settlement at Rome. It was a cluster of wooden huts on the top of pone the seven hills
Greek Influence
•Between 750 BC and 600 BC the Greeks established colonies along the southern part of Italy and Sicily
•The cities became very prosperous and commercially active
•They brought all of Italy including Rome into closer contact with Greek Civilization
Etruscans
•They were native to northern Italy
•They were skilled metal workers and engineers
•They were very influential in the development of Roman civilizations
Romans adopted the alphabet and architecture ,
Republic- is a form of government in which the powers rests within the citizens to vote their leaders
•In Rome, citizenship with voting rights was granted only to free born adult males landowners.
Patricians- the wealthy landowners who held most of the power.
Plebeians the common person but could still vote. Usually farmers and merchants
(Both were from Rome in the republic)
•Patricians inherited their power and social status and claimed that they had the right to rule due to thie ancestry.
•They barred the Plebeians from holding high offices in the government
•In time the leaders of Rome allowed the Plebeian to form their own assembly and elect their own representatives to protect their rights form the Patricians officials, they called this the Tribunes.
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