The Founding of Rome

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The Founding of Rome
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The Founding of Rome

• Legend says Rome was founded in 753 B.C. by twin
  brothers, Romulus and Remus. It began as a
  walled city.
• Archaeologists argue Rome started as a cluster of
  mud huts overlooking the Tiber River

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The Etruscans

• The Etruscans controlled Rome and taught the
  Romans many things such as metalwork and how to
  drain the city. They also designed the Roman
  Forum.
• In 502 B.C., The Romans had driven out the
  Etruscans and set up a government in which the
  citizens had more power

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Roman Society The People of Ancient Rome

• Roman society consisted of two groups, the
  plebians and the patricians.
• The plebians were farmers, tradespeople, and
  craftworkers. The majority of Roman citizens
  were plebians.
• The patricians were members of Romes noble
  families. They owned large farms and had
  plebians work the land. This was a much smaller
  group.

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The Republic

• In 494 B.C. the plebians rebelled against the
  patricians.
• They demanded changes in the governments.
• The patricians were forced to accept the
  plebians demands.
• The new government was called a republic.
• Republic means public things in Latin, the
  language of ancient Rome.

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The Republic Three Branches

• Three different government branches ran Romes
  affairs.
• 1. The Senate
• 2. The Tribunes
• 3. The Consuls

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The Republic Three Branches
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The Twelve Tables

• For many years, only the patrician leaders knew
  Romes laws.
• About 450 B.C., the plebians protested an the
  patricians agreed to write a collection of laws.
• They were written on twelve bronze tablets, or
  tables, and became known as the Twelve Tables
• They were posted in the Forum.