Important Dates and events for the early history of Rome
900 B.C. Latins Settle at Rome
770 First Greek Colonies.
753 mythic date for founding of Rome. Kings of Rome
Romulus, Numa, Tullius Hostilius, (662) Ancus Marcius, (616) Tarquinius Priscus, (578) Servius Tullus, Tarquinius Superbus.
730 A well -defined Aristocracy in Latium.
670 Forum Drained
650 Quirinal Hill joins federation
616 Date of First Etruscan King
600 Tradional Rome of 4 quarters
578 Traditional date for Sevius Tullius, who is credited with setting up the Centuriate Assembly, the first wall around Rome, with dividing the Romans into classes. 4 tribes, which became 35 into which all citizens were put.
509 Expulsion of last King -- story of Lucretia and Brutus. Main elements of government at this point. Two consuls replace king. Assembly of the Curiae, Assemblyof the Centuries, Senate. Later the Assembly of the Plebs becomes important, and the office of Tribune. Also, in times of crisis, a dictator with absolute power could be appointed for a limited time.
494 Date of first Plebian succession.
493 Rome becomes Head of Latium
471 Lex Pubilia -- Plebian assembly recognized
450-400 Economic Depression at Rome.
451 - 449 Decemviri, 12 tablets of law (see pg. 11), -- Virginia story
444-363 Period of rule of 10+ Consular Tribunes, probably to deal with all constant battles as Rome expands.
392 Fall of Veii Etruscan defeat.
391-87 Gauls invade Italy, Burn Rome.
367 Plebians can be consuls
338 Final defeat of Latin League
327 Establishment of Procosuls.
312 Appius Claudius as Censor
295 Samnites and Allies defeated.
287 Last succession of Plebs. Laws made by Plebian assembly is valid.
275 Pyrrhus driven from Italy
264- 241 First Punic War.
A few terms and concepts.
Patria potestas -- the total power a Roman father (head of household
= paterfamilas ) had over his family.
A violation of women is also a violation of this power, and thus this power
is important for the stories of Lucretia and Verginia.
Patron/Client Relationship -- one of the fundamental relationships
of Roman society. A more powerful man (the Patron) agrees to help and protect
a weaker person (the client). In turn the client agrees to perform various
services for the patron (helping him canvass for votes,etc. ) When Rome
gained power over foreign lands, whole cites would be considered the 'clients'
of a powerful man or family. Similarly, during the decline of the Roman
Republic, soldiers saw themselves as clients of powerful generals - and
would fight for him.
The elements of the Roman goverment in Earlier Republican period (see packet,
page 57-9 in Starr).
Consul : chief
executive officer, can only (theoretically) hold office for one year, and
can't be consul for another 10 years.
Dictator:
given absolute power for up to 6 months in extreme emergencies.
Eventually,
proconsul were created, men who were given some of the powers of a consul,
especially for commands far from Rome, such as being governors of provinces.
Senate. Originally
a board of elders who advised the king, it became comprised of ex-office
holders and its decrees developed the force of law. Often it was understood
that a measure had to be approved by the Senate before it could be voted
on in the Assembly.
The Assemblies.
Theoretically, these had the only right to pass laws.
The assembly of the Curiae. Original tribal assmbly, with representatives of major families of major villages.
The
10 Tribunes. Orginally with power to veto acts that threatened the rights
of Plebians. However, they were soon largly absorbeded into the Roman aristocratic
power structure -- with the exception of the Gracchi.
The Censor
Had power to remove unworthy people from senate.
Other Roman
officals - 8 Questors (in charge of financial matters) 4 Aediles
(supervised public works) etc.
Priests: Pontifex
maximus, and 9 other pontiffs, etc.
Some Reasons for the success of the early expansion of Roman Power
The willingness to grant some of the Latins (lived in the area around
Rome) after their defeat in 338 full Roman citizenship, like Tusculum and
Aricia.
Other Latin cities were granted citizenship without the vote, but with all other rights, such as involved marriage and business.
Allowing (for a while) cities further afield (like Praeneste) some independence,
provided they maintained an alliance with Rome ? but with nobody else.
These communities were also required to provide troops for the Roman army.
The elites of these cities, although lacking independence, benefited because
the Romans help them maintain power.
Romans founded colonies on frontiers and in critical locations, both mixed
colonies of Romans and their allies, like Calas and full Roman colonies,
like Ostia. Between 343 and 264 B.C. about 60,000 grants of land were made
for these colonists, 50,000 square miles.
Romans began building long roads that could be used for both the military
and commerce, like the Appian Way, which went to Capua in 312 B.C.. Such
roads tied the empire together.
Development after 300 B.C. of the more efficient maniples, units
of soldiers that could operate semi-independently.
As the Romans expanded into Southern Italy, they ran into the Greeks. In
291 the Romans founded a very large colony in Venusia, near the end of
the Samnite war only 90 miles from the major Greek city of Tarentum.
In 282 when the Romans aided Thurii and installed a garrison there, Tarentum
declared war, drove out the Romans from Thurii and sunk a Roman fleet.
They also called in King Pyrrhus from Epirus with his 25,000 mercenaries.
His first victory was Pyrrhic, and he was driven out by 276.
Soon the Romans were involved with the Carthaginians, with whom they had
long had some treaties.
Some aspects of Roman Religion
More concerned with Ritual, with maintaining relations with gods.
Romans had less concern for having humanlike gods; they just wanted to
know what the gods wanted from them. Their most vivid myths were borrowed
from the Greeks.
Romans were very careful to exactly perform rituals. Sometimes prayers
were repeated long after the Romans could not understand what they meant.
Some Roman myths may be disguised as history, for example the myths of
Romulus and Remus, the Sabines.
Large numbers of Roman gods, specialization of Duties -- gods for protecting
against wheat rust, gods of sewers, gods of doorsteps, etc.
Ancestor worship very important - the Parentalia a major festival.
Rituals a very important part of political life - a reason Christians were
persecuted.
Romans were avid borrowers of Gods from many sources, beginning with the
Etruscans and Greeks. For example, supposedly the Romans invited Juno to
come over to them after they defeated Etruscans. Many of these were mystery
and ecstatic religions, and sometimes were controlled or suppressed like
the wild rites of Dionysos or Cybele.
| Jupiter | Juno | Janus |
| Minerva | Mars | Neptune |
| Apollo | Venus | Priapus |
| Diana | Vulcan | Liber |
| Ceres | Saturn | Faunus |
| Dis Pater | Lares | Lemures |
| Manes | Vesta | Penates |
| Genius | Cybele | Isis |
| Mithras | The Sun | Quirinus |
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