Rome
-Rome was built on seven 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. three groups inhabited the region and fought for control of it
-they were the Latins, Greeks, and Etruscans
-the Latins built the original settlement at Rome. It was a cluster of wooden huts on top of one of the seven hills
Greek Influence
-Between 750 and 600 B.C. 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 a closer contact with Greek civilizations
Etruscans
-They were native to northern Italy
-They were skilled metal workers and engineers
-They were very influential in the development of Roman civilization
-Romans adopted their alphabet
-Also the adopted some of their architecture, especially the arch
Republic
-Republic-is a form of government in which the power rests with citizens who have the right to vote for their leader
-In Rome, citizenship with voting rights was granted only to free-born adult male landowners
Patricians and Plebeians
-In the early republic, different groups of Romans struggled for power
-Patricians-the wealthy land owners who held most of the power (Rome-where they are from)
-Plebeians-the common person, but could still vote. Usually farmers and merchants (Rome-where they are from)
-The 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
-In time, the leaders of Rome, allowed the Plebeians to form their own assembly and elect their own representatives to protect their rights from the Patrician officials, they called this their tribunes
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