Key Terms

1
Key Terms Roman Empire

• Magistrates
• Quaestors
• Praetors
• Dictator
• Senate
• Tribunes
• Veto

• Latins
• Romulus and Remus
• Gentes
• Etruscans
• Republic
• Patricians
• Plebeians
• Consuls

2
The Latins

• Latins were an Indo-European group that inhabited
  the Italian peninsula ca. 1200 B.C.
• Established farming villages on the seven hills
  that would become Rome
• Were a farming group that made use of the Tiber
  River for transportation and feeding crops.

3
Romulus and Remus

• Romulus and Remus ? mythical founders of Rome
  according to legend.
• Were abandoned as babies and raised by a
  she-wolf.
• Would build a great city upon the seven hills.
• Would quarrel with each other leading to the
  death of Remus and Romulus establishing his city
  known as Rome.

4
Early Roman Society

• Romans initially were herders and farmers.
• Was a paternal society where the man ran the
  household.
• Gentes ? early families that held control over
  Rome initially

5
Etruscans

• Etruscans ? second group to enter Latium and
  established the first monarchies.
• Were known for establishing a stable system of
  government
• Helped bring Greek ideals into Rome including
  their alphabet and religion
• Were ousted by the Romans after an incident
  involving an Etruscan prince.

6
The Roman Republic

• Romans would set up their own system of
  government involving elected officials governing
  Rome.
• Would have something similar to a democracy with
  limitation to who could vote.

7
Roman Republic Components

• Two classes were constructed revolving around the
  older families and other citizens
• Patricians ? upper class, composed of the
  founding families and wealthy landowners
• Plebeians ? lower class, composed of the working
  class farmers, soldiers, and merchants, made up
  90 of the population
• Plebeians demanded more rights as soldiers and
  earned full citizenship which allowed them to
  pass laws

8
Government Officials

• Roman governmental powers were broken up among a
  number of different bodies and people.
• Highest officials were consuls ? elected
  officials that enforced the laws, administered
  the city and commanded the army, could veto each
  other.
• Magistrates ? assisted the consuls, were elected
  by the Assembly of Centuries
• Quaestors ? handled the census and taxation
• Praetors ? judges, handled legislative duties
• Dictators ? officials that could gain complete
  control of Rome during times of crisis for a 6
  month period.
• Tribunes ? 10 elected officials who could veto
  the decisions of the consuls and Senate