Roman Geography and Early Republic

Geography of Rome

  • Gods and men chose the spot for the city due to salubrious hills and the river, which brings produce from inland regions and sea-borne commerce from abroad.
  • The sea is near enough for convenience, yet not so near as to bring danger from foreign fleets.
  • Rome's situation in the very heart of Italy makes it the best place for a city destined to grow great.

Earliest Settlers

  • Between 1000 to 500 BC, three groups settled the Italian Peninsula:
    • The Latins
    • The Greeks
    • The Etruscans

Legend of Rome's Rise

  • Romulus and Remus, twin brothers, founded the city in 753 B.C.
  • Abandoned as babies near the Tiber, they were rescued by a wolf and raised by a shepherd.
  • Romulus killed Remus and became the first king of Rome, naming it after himself.

Founding of Rome

  • Ancient Rome began as a group of villages along the Tiber River in what is now Italy.
  • Around 750 B.C., these villages united to form the city of Rome, founded by the Latins.

Rome's Location

  • Rome was built about 15 miles up the Tiber River, far enough from the sea to escape pirate raids.
  • It was built on a series of seven hills, making it easy to defend.
  • Rome became a stopping place for merchant ships sailing in the Mediterranean.

Mountainous Land

  • Geography was crucial for the rise of Roman civilization.
  • The Alps are high mountains that separate Italy from European lands to the north.
  • The Apennines run down the spine of the Italian peninsula.
  • Italy’s mountain slopes level off to large flat plains ideal for agriculture.

Water Around Rome

  • Adriatic Sea to the West
  • Tyrrhenian Sea to the East

Important Rivers

  • Tiber River: The river upon which Rome was founded.
  • Rubicon River: During the Roman Republic, it marked the boundary between the Roman province of Cisalpine Gaul to the northeast and Italy proper.

Greek Influence

  • Between 750-600 BC, Greeks established colonies all along the southern coast of Italy and the island of Sicily.
  • This contact brought Rome closer to Greek culture.

Etruscan Influence

  • Native to northern Italy, the Etruscans were skilled metal workers and engineers.
  • They had a strong influence on the development of Rome, most notably in its architecture, especially the arch.

Early Cultural Influences

  • From the Greeks:
    • Agriculture
    • Architecture
    • Alphabet
    • Literature
  • From the Etruscans:
    • Army
    • Clothing
    • Streets
    • Temples
    • Public Buildings

The Arch

  • The arch is a building technique using a curve of bricks.
  • It allowed for a transfer of weight that was stronger than a box.
  • Arches allow for structures to be built taller and more stable.
  • This allowed for immense structures to be built in ancient Rome.

Early Roman Republic

The Early Republic

  • Early Rome was led by a king.
  • In 600 BC, an Etruscan became king of Rome.
  • The last king of Rome was Tarquin the Proud.

Tarquin the Proud

  • Tarquin the Proud was a harsh, tyrannical leader hated by Rome.
  • He was overthrown in 509 BC.
  • After the overthrow, Rome declared that it would never again be ruled by a king.

Roman Republic

  • Rome established their Republic.
  • The term "republic" comes from the Latin phrase "res publica," which translates to "public affairs."
  • A Republic:
    • A form of government where 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 male citizens.

Early Power Struggle

  • In the early time of the republic, different groups fought for power and influence.
    • Patricians:
      • Wealthy landowners who held most of the financial power.
    • Plebeians:
      • The common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the population.

Patricians

  • They inherited their power and social status from their families.
  • Some claimed ancestry back to the first families of Rome.
  • They claimed that their ancestry gave them the authority to make the laws for Rome.

Plebeians

  • As citizens of Rome, they were able to take part in voting.
  • By law, they were barred from holding the most important government positions.
  • In time, leaders of Rome allowed the plebeians to form their own assembly.
    • They would elect representatives known as Tribunes.
    • Tribunes would protect the rights of plebeians from laws that would be set unfairly by the Patricians.

Twelve Tables

  • Before the creation of the Tribune, Rome’s laws were not written down.
  • This allowed the Patricians to interpret the law as they needed, often to benefit themselves.
  • In 451 BC, a Decemvirate (10 officials) began to write down Rome's Laws.

Twelve Tables Details

  • The laws were carved into twelve tablets.
  • They were hung in the forum for all to read.
  • The Twelve Tables would become the basis for all later Roman Law.

Twelve Tables Law Examples

  • The list of laws covered most areas of private law and concentrated on relations between individuals.
  • It also largely dealt with areas relevant to an agricultural state.
    • For example, the crime of arson was punishable by the death penalty (poena capitis), in this case by burning.
    • The crime of using magic on crops was also punishable by death, this time by a form of crucifixion.

Comparing Republican Governments

  • Comparison of Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of the Roman Republic and the United States of America, including details about citizenship. Mentions the inclusion of the Twelve Tables as the basis of the Roman legal system plus the U.S. Constitution as the basic law of the United States.