The Rise Of Rome

THE RISE OF ROME Global Studies I

The Land and the People of Italy 

Rome located about 18 miles inland on the Tiber River, giving it access to the sea  far enough inland to be safe from pirates  built on seven hills, so it was easily defended  situated where the Tiber could be easily crossed 

The Land and the People of Italy 

Influences on Rome: 

Greeks  Imitated

their sculpture, architecture, literature, and

alphabet  learned how to grow olives and grapes from them  Etruscans  adopted

their clothing—the toga and short cloak  organization of the Roman army was also borrowed from them

The Roman Republic 



republic a form of government in which the leader is not a monarch and certain citizens have the right to vote Roman diplomacy granted Roman citizenship to conquered people  allowed conquered people to run their own affairs as long as they followed Roman laws 

The Roman Republic 

Excellent Military  accomplished

soldiers  as they conquered, they built colonies  built roads to move troops quickly 

Practical in law and politics  Created

laws as problems arose

The Roman State 

Two groups of citizens  patricians

- Rome’s wealthy landowners, who became Rome’s ruling class  plebeians - second and larger group of Roman citizens, who were less wealthy landowners, craftspeople, merchants, and small farmers

The Roman State 

Resentment between the classes  Patricians

did not treat the plebeians as

equals.  Plebeians

could not hold government offices

initially  their children could not marry the children of the patricians

The Roman State 

Roman Government

Patricians

Plebeians

Consuls (officer of the Roman Council of the Plebs (after Republic who ran the 471 BC) government and led the Roman army into battle) Praetors (officer of the Roman Republic who was in charge of civil law )

Tribunes (protected the plebeians)

Senate (300 men who served Consuls (from 4th century BC) for life) Centuriate Assembly (elected officials and passed laws)

The Roman State  

Roman Law Twelve Tables  Rome’s

first code of laws  Applied to Roman citizens only 

Law of Nations  Applied

to all people  Innocent until proven guilty  Due process – judge hears case and makes decision based on evidence

First Punic War 

Cause  Romans

sent an army to Sicily. Carthage thought Sicily was theirs and saw this as an act of war.



Results  Rome

defeated Carthage  Sicily became the first Roman province

Second Punic War 

Cause  Hannibal,

the greatest Carthaginian general, led a revolt against the Romans



Results  Rome

crushed Hannibal at the Battle of Zama and the war ended  Spain became a Roman province  Rome became the dominant power in the Mediterranean

Review o

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Write short explanations of how each of the following terms relates to this period in Roman history: Etruscans Greeks Consuls Praetors Plebeians Patricians Carthaginians