Notes
Rome:
Geography- built on 7 rolling hills, around Tiber river, near center of Italian peninsula, midway point between the Alps and Italy’s southern tip.
First Romans- 1000 to 500 BC, three groups inhabited and fought for control, Latins Greeks and Etruscans, Latins built original settlement at Rome, cluster of wooden huts on top of one of the seven hills.
Greek Influence- 750 and 600 BC, Greeks established colonies southern part of Italy and sicily, cities were prosperous and commercially active, brought all of Italy including rome, into closer contact with greek civilization.
Etruscans- native to northern Italy, skilled metal workers and engineers, very influential in development of roman civilization, romans adopted their alphabet they also adopted some of their architecture, especially the arch.
Republic- a form of government in which the power rests with citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders.
In rome, citizenship with voting rights was granted only to free-born adult male landowners.
Patricians and Plebeians- in 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 farmers and merchants.
Patricians- inherited their power and social status, claimed that they had the right to rule due to their ancestry, 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.
Comments