Lay the Foundations For an Empire 500 to 300

BCE

The legendary beginnings of Rome

753 BCE A Trojan prince by

the name of Aeneas survived the Trojan War

He journeyed to Italy and founded a new civilization

Power struggles ensued between his descendents

The Plot Thickens One descendent

Rhea Silvia was persecuted by an evil uncle

Mars, the God of War, was angered by this, and impregnated Rhea Silvia

Romulus and Remus Twins were born and

their evil uncle feared them so he left them out to die

A she-wolf found them and nursed them to health

They grew strong and proud and then destroyed their evil uncle

Conflict and Resolution Soon a power

struggle developed between the brothers

Romulus destroyed Remus in combat and named the new city after himself

Rome in 509 BCE The Battle for Survival

Rome was a small city in Italy

The dominant tribe at the time, were the Etruscans from the north

The Etruscans had a monarchy and wanted to control the Romans

509 BCE The Birth of a Republic

The Romans defeated the Etruscans and set up a republic

In a republic, there is no monarch

Class Warfare

Patricians were wealthy landowners

Plebeians were artisans and business people

2 Branches of Government

The Legislative Branch was the Roman Senate

The Senate only represented the Patricians

A Consul was in charge of the Executive Branch

The Military Card

The Plebeians felt exploited

They decided to refuse military service until represented

Bicameral Legislature and Due Process

The Assembly of Tribes became the lower house of the legislature

The 12 Tables was a consistent legal code

In Rome, all enjoyed the concept of equal protection under the law

The Building Block of Society

Healthy families meant a healthy society

The Father was the undisputed leader

Obedient children grew into loyal soldiers and citizens

300 BCE Buckle-UP

The entire Mediterranean Area was about to be hit by a force the world had yet to see

This was a civilization that really had its act together!