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Home , Centuriate Assembly, Lex Canuleia

Ancient Origins of Rome - Remus and / She- wolf legend (, ); 7 hills - Aeneid epic ( and Aeneas (a Trojan prince)) - Tarquins (Etruscan kings) – Rome was first a monarchy (753 BCE-509 BCE) The Start of the Roman

-In 509 BCE Tarquinus Superbus is deposed as the result of a revolt -New, mixed form of government is established over time a. (comitia centuriata) – popular assembly, representing the b. 2 consuls, each with veto power, are elected by the Centuriate assembly c. = financial officials d. = judges e. Censors = conduct censuses, etc. f. Senate = the most important governmental body g. Dictator = temporary office The Struggle of the Orders: Phase One

-Patricians (aristocrats) vs. (commoners) -Plebeian goal: Equality (in terms of influence in the state, social equality, and more generally, what we would today call equality of opportunity) - –elected by Plebeian assembly (from 494 BCE onward); powers comparable to those wielded by consuls -Lex Canuleia (445 BCE) – intermarriage between the orders is now allowed - Lex Hortensia (287 BCE) – resolution passed by Plebeian assembly is now binding on all w/o need for confirmation by either the Centuriate Assembly or the Senate The Punic Wars (i.e., Rome vs. )

- Structure of Carthaginian govt. and society is very different than Rome --The First Punic War: 264-241 BCE Main Cause: Dispute over Sicily Impt. Carth. general: Hamilcar Barca - The Second Punic War : 218- 201 BCE Main cause: Saguntum (Spain) Impt. generals: Hannibal/ Scipio -The : 149-146 BCE Cato the Censor: “Cathago delenda est” (“Carthage must be destroyed”) The Struggle of the Orders: Part Two

-Clash between (aristocrats) and (commoners, lower class) -Civil War is sparked by the assassination of the Tiberius Gracchus in 133 BCE -His brother Gaius Gracchus is killed in 123 BCE - Eventually military leaders like Marius and , and patricians like Julius , benefit from this clash; in some cases, they even form private armies The First -, Crassus and divide up territory -Caesar defeats Celtic leader Vercingetorix and conquers Gaul; later, he crosses the Rubicon, is victorious in civil war and seizes power; in the end, he is assassinated by Brutus, Cato et alii (44 BCE)(“Beware the Ides of March!”) The Second Triumvirate

-Octavian (), Mark Antony, and Lepidus --They defeat Caesar’s murderers, eliminate others (like ) as well but soon come into conflict themselves --Civil War: Augustus defeats Mark Antony and Cleopatra (battle of Actium) in 30 BCE and eventually becomes sole ruler; republic continues mostly in name only Roman Literature during the Republic and Early Empire

- (ca 254-184 BCE) and (ca 195 BCE- 159 BCE) = playwrights -Cicero (106-43 BCE) = famous orator, philosopher, politician - (ca 99 – ca 55 BCE) = poet and thinker - (ca 84-ca 54 BCE) = lyric poet -Julius Caesar = wrote Gallic Wars (veni, vidi, vici) - (65-8 BCE) = poet, known for Odes and Satires -Virgil (70-19 BCE) = poet, wrote Aeneid - (43 BCE- 18 CE) = wrote Metamorphoses - (61 CE – 113 CE)= nephew of famous scientist In his Letters Pliny the Younger tells us much about the , including instances in which it had to cope with disasters (such as the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius near in 79 C.E.)