Early Romans THE MAKING OF A REPUBLIC CAESAR (NOT THE SALAD)! Setting the Twelve Tables IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Early_Romans_FC.indd 1 1/20/17 11:33 AM Norwegian Sea FAROE ISLANDS SHETLAND ISLANDS ORKNEY ISLANDS HEBRIDES North Sea Baltic Sea Elbe 2 Early SettlersRhine River Picture the Italian Peninsula 3,000 years The Roman civilization was one of the ago. The mild climate and fertile land have most influential in the world. You can still attracted many people to settle there. Along see its traces in modern languages, culture, Seinethe Tiber River, not far from its mouth architecture, and laws. But the place that (where it reaches the sea), is a group of seven would become Rome began as a collection hills. As you Seinegaze at sheep and small villages, of small farming villages spread across those Danube it’s hard to imagine that one day, thisRhine River will be a seven hills. Danube city that rules over a vast empire. Loire r THE ITALIAN Italian Peninsula, about 600 BCE Peninsula is a Bay boot-shaped area EUROPE of land surrounded on three sides by P S Etruscan Lands of the Mediterranean L A Latin Lands Sea. The Apennine Po River Mountains run Greek Colonies Biscay Garonne down its center. Rhone A A larger mountain P range, the Alps, E lies to the north, N Adriatic Sea between the Italian T N ib Peninsula and the e Perugia r I rest of Europe. R Volsinii N Between the i v Apennines and the N e CORSICA r E Alps is the wide, Tarquinia fertile valley of the W E Cerveteri Rome S Rio Douro Po River. The Tiber River flows through S central Italy, meet- Naples ing the sea on T y r r h e n i a n the west coast SARDINIA S e a of the peninsula. Tagus River Thurii MAJORCA Caralis Rio Guadiana M e Locri d i t e SICILY r r a n Syracuse e a n S e a AFRICA l THERE ARE MANY spread mineral- Italy has plenty growing season, volcanoes on the rich ash across of arable land, or whichIonian makes the Sea Italian Peninsula. the land. This, land that is good farmland even Most are no longer along with flooding for growing crops. more productive. active. When these in river valleys, The mild climate of volcanoes erupted created fertile the Mediterranean in the past, they soils. As a result, provides a long Early_Romans_2-3.indd 16 1/20/17 11:14 AM 3 u IN AROUND 1000 r THE EARLY LATIN BCE, people who settlers were farm- would eventually ers and herders. be known as Latins They grew crops, began migrat- including wheat, ing to the Italian olives, and grapes, Peninsula. They and raised sheep, settled on and goats, cattle, and around the seven pigs. A typical Latin hills along the Tiber village was made River, in the area up of one-room that later became huts and located Rome. When the on a hill. This pro- Latins arrived, the tected the village Etruscans were from flooding already living in in the valleys. It central Italy. Later, also allowed the the Greeks began residents to see to colonize south- approaching ene- ern Italy. mies and escape to higher ground when in danger. r THE LATIN d THE FIRST VILLAGE agricultural prac- cultural practices people who would in the seven hills tices and probably from the Etruscans. become known may have been introduced met- For example, the as Romans often built there for alworking to idea of gladiators, encountered their trading with the the Latins. They men who fight one Etruscan and Greek Etruscans who introduced city another for public neighbors. Both lived on the other planning to early entertainment, may groups influenced side of the Tiber. Rome. Latin people have come from Roman culture. The Etruscans also borrowed the Etruscans. The Latin alphabet helped to improve some religious and was borrowed from the Etruscans, who had borrowed and adapted it from the Greeks. The Romans also adopted aspects of the Greek religion, giving the Greek gods Latin names. For example, the Greek goddess Athena became Minerva to the Romans. Early_Romans_2-3.indd 17 1/20/17 11:14 AM 4 Founding of the City of Rome The earliest surviving Roman histories were written more than 500 years after the founding of Rome. Because so much time had passed, we don’t know if what the historians wrote was based on fact or legend. Legend says that the city was founded by twins named Romulus and Remus. They were said to be descended from the Trojan hero Aeneas. Romulus and Remus probably were not real u THE TIBER RIVER Phoenicians, and connected Rome to other cultures people. But the legend of Rome’s founding can the Mediterranean were trading and tell us something about how the Romans saw them- Sea. Rome’s exchanging ideas. location on the As Rome grew, selves and their city. In the legend, Aeneas made a edge of the pros- it eventually heroic journey not for treasure or fame, but so that perous eastern connected eastern his descendants could one day found Rome. For Mediterranean Mediterranean region was trading routes the Romans, this showed that their civilization ideal for trade. with markets to was chosen for greatness. It also reflected how the In this region, the the west. Romans valued public service. Greeks, Egyptians, d IN THE LEGEND, the throne. They and Romulus Romulus and decided to found killed Remus. Remus grew up a new city on the The new city was and returned site where they named Rome after to Alba Longa had been rescued Romulus, who to restore their as babies. But the became its first grandfather to brothers argued, king. u ACCORDING TO into exile. Later, thrown into the legend, Romulus when Romulus nearby Tiber River. and Remus were and Remus were But the babies’ the grandsons of born, the new king basket washed up the king of Alba worried that they on the riverbank, Longa. The king’s would one day take where a mother brother seized the throne from wolf found and power and sent him. He ordered rescued them. the rightful king the babies to be Early_Romans_4-5.indd 16 1/20/17 11:16 AM 5 l THE EARLIEST settlement in what would become Rome was a col- lection of hilltop villages. In the mid-600s BCE, settlements began to spread from the hills into the near- by valleys to form one urban com- munity. Eventually, a government was formed. Early Rome had a type of government called a monarchy, which is ruled by a single person, usually a king or queen. Rome’s earliest kings were Latins, elected by an assembly of respected men. l ROME’S governed by a king. elected the first neighbors, the Twelve Etruscan of three Etruscans Etruscans, had a city-states came to be kings of wealthy, advanced together to form Rome. These kings civilization. The a confederation, brought ideas Romans adopt- or a group of and knowledge ed many of governments from the Etruscan their ideas. The joined together culture that led to Etruscans lived for a common Roman advances in independent purpose. In 616 in engineering and city-states, each BCE, the Romans government. r THE ETRUSCAN Etruscan kings, and trading. The kings created an the valley in the Etruscan kings also organized system center of the city built sewers, roads, of government. was drained and temples, and many They built an army, paved to create other things that conquered neigh- the Roman Forum. cities need to func- boring Latin tribes, The forum was tion well. All this and brought new the town square, construction set lands under Roman where people met Rome up for future control. Under the for public business growth. Early_Romans_4-5.indd 17 1/20/17 11:16 AM 6 Lead-up to the Republic Imagine living in ancient Italy, where the king was all-powerful. Life might be fine if the king was a wise and good person. But what if a selfish and greedy man became king? What if the king simply didn’t know how to rule well? If the king didn’t treat people fairly, what could you do? According to Roman historians, the third Etruscan king, Tarquinius Superbus, was not a good ruler, unlike the earlier kings. He did not listen to the Senate, the group of men who were supposed to give the king advice. Tarquinius and his sons treated the Roman people very badly. u IN 509 BCE, Rome’s leading banishment of the while Tarquinius citizens, Lucius king. He argued After 25 years of suffering under his Superbus was Junius Brutus and that Rome should rule, the people were ready to revolt. away fighting a Lucius Tarquinius form a new gov- war, the people Collatinus. Brutus ernment without of Rome voted to gave several a king. The citizens overthrow him. famous speeches of Rome voted The movement supporting the to approve these was led by two of removal and proposals. l PERHAPS because Tarquinius Superbus had abused his pow- er, the Romans designed their new government so that one person could not achieve total power. Instead of a king, there would be two leaders u WHEN THE of democracy, but called consuls. Romans ended the created a different The consuls would monarchy, they democratic system. share power equal- created a republic Instead of includ- ly. Instead of ruling in its place. In a ing all citizens in for life, the consuls republic, citizens law-making, the would have one- elect leaders to Roman system year terms.