Early Roman Republic

Early Roman Republic

Patricians, Plebeians, and the Punic Wars

Greece Review

Alexander and the Hellenistic World

Alexander the Great

• Alexander the Great conquered Greece, Persia, and the Mediterranean

• This allowed him to spread Greek culture throughout Europe and Asia

• The combination of Greek and non-Greek cultures is referred to as hellenistic

• These ideas, specifically the idea of democracy spread to Rome and brought an end to the monarchy

Assembly, Consul, and Senate

"Balance of Power"

Vocab Review

• Plebeians: Commoners of Rome who worked as farmers, traders, and craftsmen.

• Patricians: Nobles of Rome who held a majority of the power

• Assembly: A branch of government where all citizens could vote directly on laws but could not write them and they could be overruled (mostly Plebeians)

• Senate: The most powerful lawmaking body in Rome that wrote all the laws and could overrule the Assembly (entirely Patricians)

• Consul: Supreme leader of the Roman Republic, elected every year (Only Patricians)

Multiple Choice

True or False: Plebeians held most of the power in the Roman Republic

• True

• False

In School

• Students and Teachers = Assembly

• Principals and School Board = Senate

• Superintendent = Consul

Multiple Choice

Who has the most power in the Roman Republic?

• Assembly

• Consul

• Senate

Punic Wars

A Shift in Power

Plebeian vs Patrician

• As Rome began their expansion to other islands, the balance of power in the Republic led to a revolt by the Plebeians

• Many Plebeians left their place in the military which left Rome weak and unable to control territory

• The kingdom of Carthage in North Africa then attacked Rome in what would be known as the Punic Wars

Win-Lose-Win

• Rome would successfully win the first war and take the island of Sicily from Carthage

• Under the command of Hannibal, Carthage would then send elephants through the Alps to take Rome and he would be successful at a high price

• Rome would win the third conflict but would see an end to Patrician rule as Plebeians now had the experience, claim, and ability to rule in the government

Expectation

Reality

Multiple Choice

What did the Punic Wars lead to?

• Absolutely nothing

• The invention of pizza

• Increased power for Plebeians

• Mandatory military service