Latium (Lazio)

Gallia Cisalpina, Alps

Etruscans, Campania, Magna Graecia

1000 B.C. Iron Age comes to Italy

800 B.C. First settlements in Rome

Tiber

509 B.C. Tradition tells us that the Romans expelled their last Etruscan king, Tarquin the Proud, and created a republic.

753-509 B.C.

• First Forum
• First stone buildings
• Streets
• Walls around the city

Early Roman Government

1. Kings; Broad powers in war, religion, and daily life; monarchy left an imprint in Rome
2. Fathers (patres); patricians
3. Council, or assembly; the Senate (Senex=old man)
4. Plebeians: ordinary people
5. Assembly of all citizens; could take legislative initiative; any measure had to be approved by the Roman senate
6. Open to foreigners

Two Basic Changes

1. Liberty: Libertas, Freedom; Freedom of the people to participate rather than to be ruled
2. The notion of republic; Res Publica: "A public thing" (as opposed to "privateness")

The doctrine of "Expanding Defense" (kind of like preemptive action)

Plebeian Gains

1. A plebeian council, permitted to pas laws binding on them, but not on the Roman people as a whole (not on patricians)
2. Ten tribunes: officers who looked out for the interests of the plebeians (veto acts of magistrates or deliberations)
3. 449 B.C. — The Twelve Tables of Roman law were erected in the Roman forum
4. 367 B.C. — The plebeians were regularly able to elected consul (the highest executive officer)
5. 287 B.C. The Licinian-Sextian law granted the legislation of the plebeian assembly full binding power on all the Roman people