Notes:
Roman Geography:
- Rome was built on 7 rolling hills around the Tiber River, near the center of the Italian peninsula
- 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
- were Latins, Greeks, and Etruscans
- Latins built the original settlement at Rome. It was a cluster of wooden huts on top of one of the seven hils
Greek influence:
- between 750 B.C 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 closer contact with Greek Civilization
Etruscans:
- were native to northern italy
- were skilled metal workers and engineers
- were very influential in the development of Roman civilization
- Romans adopted their alphabet
- also adopted some of their architecture, especially the arch
Republic: is 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: the wealthy landowners who held most of the power
Plebeians: the common person, but could still vote. Usually farmers and merchants
- in the early republic, different groups of Romans struggled for power
- the Patricians inherited their power and social status, and claimed that they had the right to rule due to their ancestry
- the 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 representative to protect their rights from the Patrician officials, they called this their tribunes
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