Rome

• Etruscans
• Came form central part of the peninsula
• they were metalworkers, artists and architects
• Foundation Myths
• Virgil’s Aeneid, Aeneas escapes from Troy
• the story of Remus and Romulus
• Greeks in Rome
• They had many colonies around the Mediterranean sea
• Romans borrowed a lot from them such as:
• religious beliefs
• alphabet
• art
• military techniques and weaponry
• The Latins settled in Rome first
• Latins were:
• descendants of Indo-Europeans
• settled on the banks of the Tiber
• situated so trading ships could navigate as far as Rome
• a commercial port, but not susceptible to attack
• built on seven hills (Palatine is most important)
• Remus wanted to build on Aventine
• Romulus wanted to build on Palatine
• many streams flowed into the Tiber
• there was a marshy area called the Forum,  between Palatine and Capitoline Hills
• Tarquin the Proud’s grandfather built the Cloaca Maxima (largest ancient drain), which channeled water into the Tiber
• Lucius Tarquinias Superbus
• the seventh and final king of Rome
• known as Tarquin the Proud (sometimes referred to as Tarquin the Arrogant)
• he was a tyrant, in the old and modern sense of the word
• He made the people of Rome never want to have a king again
• New Government
• Two Consuls
• consuls are elected officials
• one year in office 
• always aristocrats (patricians)
• patricians traced their descent from a famous ancestor, or pater (“father”)
• duties: dealing justice, making law, commanding the army
• one consul could veto the other (reducing the power of the individual)
• Plebs
• fifth century BCE - patrician dominance of the government was challenged by the plebs (“people”)
• plebs were 98% of the population
• plebs had to serve in the army, but could not hold office
• plebs were threatened with debt slavery
• plebs had no legal rights
• Plebs refused to enter the military until set laws were written down.
• laws were written out (The Law of the Twelve Tables)
• these laws (on tablets) were posted in public (in 450 BCE)
• tribunes (“tribal leaders”) were elected  
• S.P.Q.R. - Senatus Populusque Romanum
• designates any decree or decision made by “the Roman Senate and People”
• res publica -the people’s affairs
• brand new republic
• democracy (the people’s assembly and the tribunes)
• aristocracy (the Senate - approx. 300 members)
• plus monarchy (the consuls)
• not a tyranny 
• The U.S. Government and the Roman government both have three branches and a legal code
• Roman Government
• executive
• two consuls
• one year terms
• each has veto power
• controls the military
• could appoint a dictator in a crisis for a six-month term
• Legislative
• Senate - 300 people - aristocrats - members for life
• Assemblies (either Centuriate or Tribal) 193 members (later 373) - members for life
• Judicial
• Praetors
• chosen by the Centuriate Assembly
• one-year terms
• U.S. Government
• executive
• President (plus VP)
• four year terms
• can veto proposed laws
• Commander-in-Chief of the military
• legislative
• Senate - 100 senators (two from each state) - six-year terms
• House of Representatives - 435 members (55 from Cali; MD has 8; AK, DE, MT, ND, SD, VT, WY have 1) - two-year terms
• judicial
• Supreme Court
• nine members
• lifetime terms
• appointed by the President, confirmed by the Senate