Transcript Romans Form a Republic

Romans Form a Republic
•World Studies: The Ancient World
•Chapter 7: Section 1
•P212-215
Republic
• People (citizens) choose a leader who will
make decisions for the them in the
government
Republic
• Led by 2 Consuls
• Consuls = voted on by the senate
• Senate gave suggestions to the Consuls and
usually the Consuls followed this advice
Patrician
• Aristocrat
• Member of the rich and powerful family
• 300 Patrician men made up the senate
Senate
• Most powerful part of the government
• Decided on laws, how the spend money
(taxes), and how to deal with other countries
Plebian
• Common/ordinary people – farmers, craft
workers
• Early on in the republic, plebeians could not
be in the senate.
• In 367BC, a new required that one Consul had
to be a plebian.
• Now, plebeians could also be in the senate.
Consul
• Each ruled for one year
• Both had to agree in order for laws to be
passed
• Right to “Veto” = “I forbid it”
• A dictator could rule, but only during
emergencies for a maximum of 6 months
Julius Caesar
• Strong military leader
• Captured Gaul by 51 BC
• Caesar fought with the senate in 49BC and won,
becoming dictator for more than 6 months
• He kept some aspects of the Republic, but
declared himself dictator for life in 44BC
• Killed by members of the senate on March 15,
44BC -called “The Ides of March”
• 13 years of civil war broke out after his death
• Augustus Caesar became first emperor