ROME: REPUBLIC TO EMPIRE
Governing Rome
Not everyone was treated fairly in the Roman Republic. Romes's government reflected divisions within its society. Early Romans were divided into 2 classes: patricians and plebians. The patricians were Romes's ruling class, they were very wealthy. They came from the oldest and most prominent families. But, most Romans were plebeians. The plebeians in some cases were poor. Their jobs included artisans, shopkeepers, and owners of small farms. Patrician and plebeian men were Roman citizens who had the right to vote. Both groups were required to pay taxes and serve in the army. Patricians couldn't marry a plebeian. Also, Plebeians lacked important basic rights. They couldn't hold public office or lead the public ceremonies that honored the Gods of Rome. The republic would be shaped by a struggle between the patricians and the plebeians.
Government of the Republic
The government of Rome was organized into three branches. One made laws; another ran daily affairs of government; the third branch acted as judges. The Republic had a system of checks and balances. The system was designed so one wasn't more powerful than the other. Two patrician consuls headed the government. The consuls were administrators and army leaders. Each consul served one year in office. The terms were so short so, that they wouldn't become to powerful. Each consul could veto or reject the other's decision. Also, Rome had other major government officials called praetors. They interpreted laws and served as judges in court. The senate was Rome's legislature. The senate was a group of 300 patrician men. They served the Republic for life. During the early republic, the senate advised the consuls. By 200 B.C. the senators debated foreign policy, proposed laws, and approved the construction of roads and temples. The Assembly of Centuries was another legislative body in Rome. It elected consuls and praetors and passed laws. The Assembly was controlled by patricians.
Conflict Between Classes
As time passed plebeians grew frustrated. They had to serve in the army and pay taxes, yet they had no power in the government. In 494 B.C. plebeians went on strike, refusing to fight in the army. They even left Rome to create a new government of their own. The patricians feared that the republic would collapse, so they agreed to share the power. The plebeians had their own body of representatives, called the Council of Plebs. The Council of Plebs elected officials called tribunes. Tribunes voiced plebeian concerns. The tribunes could also veto government decisions. Later, plebeians were allowed to become consuls, and marriages between both classes were allowed. In 287 B.C. the plebeians won another important political victory. The council of plebs was given the right to pass laws for all Romans. Politically, all male citizens were equal. But, in practice, a few wealthy patrician families still held most of the power.
Cincinnatus and Civic Duty
The Romans believed that the republic needed a strong leader. To lead Rome, the Romans created the office of a dictator. The consuls resigned during difficult or dangerous times, and the senate appointed a dictator to lead. During a crisis, the dictator had complete control over Rome. After the crisis was over the dictator would give up his power. Then the regular government's power would be restored. In 458 B.C. an enemy attacked Rome a dictator was chosen: Cincinnatus. Cincinnatus had been a respected Roman consul who was known for his loyalty to Rome. He created an army and easily defeated the enemy. Cincinnataus was widely admired because he fulfilled his civic duty.
Rome's System of Law
One of Rome's greatest contributions to later civilizations was its system of law. The Roman system of law has influenced the legal systems of modern-day countries. At first, the law was not written down which sparked criticism from the plebeians. Eventually, the patricians agreed to write the law down. In 451 B.C. Rome adopted its first written code of laws known as the Twelve Tables. The laws were carved on twelve bronze tablets. They placed the laws in Rome's marketplace, called the Forum. For all to see. The tablets supported the idea that all free citizens had the right to be treated equally in the Roman legal system.
Roman Justice
The ideas found in the Roman law system are still used today. For Example, innocent till proven guilty. Judges must carefully consider all the evidence in a case before making a decision. The Rule of Law is one of the key ideas that that the Romans passed onto the world. The Rule of Law means that laws apply to everyone equally. Before the Romans, the rule of law was unfamiliar to people.
Punic Wars
Rome continued to grow as a republic. Its power was threatened by another civilization in the Mediterranean region. Carthage was a powerful trading empire based along the North African coast. It became the largest and wealthiest city in the western Mediterranean. Carthage became Romes main rival. The conflict spanned nearly 120 years.
The Punic Wars Begin
The first war erupted in 264 B.C. The original conflict is known as the First Punic War. It began when Rome sought after the fertile land of Sicily. The Carthaginians were determined to stop the Romans. Carthage used its strong navy to protects its trading empire. Although Rome had a strong army It didn't have a good navy. Romans quickly built new ships strengthening their navy. The 2 powers battled for 20 years. The Romans beat the Carthaginian ships and won the battle and Sicily. Carthage had to pay a huge fine to Rome.
Hannibal Attacks: The Second Punic war
After losing Sicily Carthage tried to expand its empire into Spain. They wanted to make up for the losses caused by the war with Rome. The Romans didn't want their enemy anywhere near Rome. The Romans encouraged the Spanish to rebel. In response Carthage sent its greatest general, Hannibal to attack Rome. This started the Second Punic War. Hannibal planned to fight the Romans in Italy. So Hannibal gathered an army of 46,000 soldiers and 37 elephants. He sailed from Carthage to Spain. Then his soldiers marched through Gaul, or present day France. Then they crossed the Alps hoping to overpower the roman army. Instead the bitter cold killed nearly half the army. In 216 B.C Hannibal defeated the Romans at the battle of Cannae. Following the battle, Hannibal's army raided the country in response, The Romans assembled another army. In 206 B.C Roman forces led by Scipio captured Spain and then attacked the city of Carthage. Hannibal returned home to North Africa to defend his people. In 202 B.C Scipio's troops defeated the Carthaginians at the Battle of Zama. Carthage was forced to pay a large sum of money and give up its navy. Now Rome was the supreme power in the western Mediterranean.
The Third Punic War
Rome still considered Carthage a military threat. In 146 B.C Rome Finally destroyed Carthage in the Third Punic War. At the same time, Rome also waged war against other states in the eastern Mediterranean region. In 140 B.C all of Greece fell under Roman rule. About 20 years later, Rome acquired its first province in Asia.