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The roman republic is a new form of government, a republic. It exists in what is npw modern day italy.
It was created with the ovethow of the last Etruscan king in 509 B.C.E. In a republic, citizens elect leaders to run their government. The leaders the citizens elect are called consuls. The consuls themselves were elected by a citizen asembly advised by a Senate. The roman republic wasnt a democracy because not every citizen had the same economic power. Citizens were divided into two classes cald Plebeians and Patricians. Patircians were citizens that were members of the small amount of wealthy roman families.
While partriciabns and pleblians squabbled over political issues, battles raged on outsided. The roman army marched on to wage war against their neighbors, expanding romes boundries. Yet they were not always vicotrious; in 390 BCE romw was attacked and destroyed by the guals, warring people from the north.
Rome was rebuild though, and continued to grow. By 338 BC, Rome had conquered Latium and Etruria. By 275, rome had conquered the whole italian penisula. Rome success came with makeing conquered countries allies instead of occupied countries. They were promised a cut of the spoils from future wars and therfore fought along Rome and supported it.
Barbarians invaded Rome in 390 B.C. Romans internal trouble led so the barbarians could reach the center of the city. Diocletions & other emperors taught the barbarians. Emperors tried to buy off the invaders. (barbarians) They hired the barbarians & gave them land. The Visigaths (barbarians) turned & jailled eastern emperors.. Barbarian chiefs took control of much of the West part of the empire. The fall of the Roman Empire happened 476 A.D. Germaine Chief Odoacer forced out the last western emperor. Reasons of the fall. Christianity- Christians were more devoted to faith and Church then Rome. Economic Decline- Army & Government kept growing,. Romans continued to import luxeury items. Economy wasnt strong enough. Growth of the Roman Government- Romans were derived of people. Soon people saw no reason to help the empire. Poor wanted barbarian rulers. They were not as harsh. Decline of the Work Force- High death rate= decrease of workers, soldiers & slaves. Moral Decline- More interest in leisure activities then protecting empire. When empire was in need of military the skills werent as sharp. Military Defeat- Army wasntstrong enough to defeat the barbarians and lost battle after battle.
As the plebians gained power, the government became more democratic. Since 509 B.C. the Roman government had been headed by two consuls. By 367 B.C. one of thes consuls had to be plebian. The consuls had the same power as kings but with two important limitations. Consuls were elected to serve only once a year, and each consul could veto each others actions. Consuls carried out business of the government & of the army. They were advised by a Senate of 300 citizens. These citizens controlled the Roman treasury & foreign policy. Most of the Senators were wealthy Roman families. Senators were chosen for life even though the consul was chosen differently every once a year. This was the most powerful group in the Roman empire.
Laws proposed by the Senate could be approved or dissaproved by citizen assemblies. Cantidates for consul were also elected by these assemblies. The government of the Roman Republic spread its power evenly through many groups.
Laws were engraved on twelve bronze tables in 450 B.C.
Rome is located in Italy.
In 494 B.C. there was a crisis in Rome. The common people had moved out of the city because they were angry by their treatment of the rich people & powerful leaders of Rome. The leaders of Rome were worried because they knew their city was in danger. So they agreed to give the common people more rights. The crisis between the two marked the beginning of a 200 year struggle by the common people to gain equal rights.
In 509 B.C. the last Etruscan king was overthrown. Roman leaders adopted a new form of government a Republic. A Republic is where citizens elect leaders to run their government. The leaders the citizens elected were called consuls. These consuls were leaders elected by a citizen assembly & advised by a Senate. The early Roman Republic was not a democracy though, poorer citizens had less econamical rights then others. Citizens were advised into different groups, the plebians & the patricians. Patricians were wealthy & the plebians were the rest of the population. Class was determined by birth.
Both classes had the right to vote. However only patricians could hold poltical, military, or religious offices. The patricians held all the power. When a poor plebian had to borrow money from a rich to survive, the plebian was forced to into dept bondage. A man or women in dept bondage was forced to be a servant of the person he/she owed money to. And without wages he/she could never get the money back to repay the freedom. Yet the government never did anything to stop this.
Women could not vote or take part government, but they were protected by Roman laws. Slaves and war captives were owned by citizens and had no rights.
While partriciabns and pleblians squabbled over political issues, battles raged on outsided. The roman army marched on to wage war against their neighbors, expanding romes boundries. Yet they were not always vicotrious; in 390 BCE romw was attacked and destroyed by the guals, warring people from the north.
Rome was rebuild though, and continued to grow. By 338 BC, Rome had conquered Latium and Etruria. By 275, rome had conquered the whole italian penisula. Rome success came with makeing conquered countries allies instead of occupied countries. They were promised a cut of the spoils from future wars and therfore fought along Rome and supported it. They were also protected from invaders as part of Romes army.
In the 200s BC, Rome was conquering Italy, while another power, Carthage was growing in strength, it was a prospherous city with trading posts all around the mediterrenian. Carthage and Rome became leathal enimes and fought three wars to detrmine who would control the mediterrenian. These wars were named the Punic wars.
In the first
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