Tuesday, Oct. 2

Today we took notes on Rome. Then reseached about the legislative branch in the Roman empire.

Rome-

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’s southern tip.

First Romans-
From 1000 to 500 B.C. 3 groups inhabited the region and fought for control of it.
They were the Latin, Greek, and Etruscans.
Latins built the original settlement at Rome it was a cluster of wooden huts on top of 1 of the 7 hills.

Greek Influence-
Between 750 and 600 B.C. 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.

Republic-
A form of gov. in which the power rests with the citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders.
In Rome citizen ship with voting tights was granted only to free-born adult male landowners.

Patricians and Plebeians-
In the early republic, different groups of Romans struggled for power.
Patricians- wealthy landowners who held most of the power.
Plebeians- the common person, but could still vote, usually farmer and merchants.
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 gov.
In time the leaders of Rome allowed the Plebeians to form their own assembly and elect their own representative to protect their rights from the Patrician officials they called their tribunes.

Legislative branch-
Rome- Senate- 300 males that owned land, most powerful of the legislative branch, served for life, centuriate assembly- soldiers pick consules served for live, tribal assembly- ordinary people, made laws, served for live.
U.S.- Senate and House of Representatives, they make laws, 100 members- 2 per state.

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