italy and the early republic

Question 1

Etruscan culture was the first native urban culture of Italy, what were the main features of this culture?

Answer 1

MAIN FEATURES:
1. relied on trade with eastern civilizations.
2. largely independent (sometimes joint in loose federations)
3. each city had an elected king.

Question 2

How was Rome influenced by Etruscan culture?

Answer 2

ETRUSCAN INFLUENCE ON ROME:
1. interest in divination
2. sports; i.e. gladiatorial contests
3. architecture; i.e. temple architecture

Question 3

In what ways are the current Canadian parliamentary democracy similar to that of the Roman republican government?

Answer 3

SIMILARITIES:
1. ruling legislative body
2. the senate
3. several executive positions that execute the will of and answer to the senate.
- ex. quaestors, aediles, praetors, consuls.
4. election of government members

Question 4

In what ways are the current Canadian parliamentary democracy different to that of the Roman republican government?

Answer 4

DIFFERENCES:
1. voting power.
- rome gave more power to the aristocracy and the rich
- cad gives equal power
2. who can gain membership in the government.
- rome was dominated by patricians; few rich plebian families obtained those positions
- cad allows anyone to gain membership

Question 5

What was the Etruscan economy centered around?

Answer 5

1. Agriculture
2. and resources from the land.

Question 6

What is the most important Etruscan city?

Answer 6

Veii

Question 7

During this time period, society was not considered to be monarchic but rather it was considered to be what? Why this distinction?

Answer 7

1. Considered to be regal with a non hereditary king.
2. Each city had an elected king that would assist on the council of aristocratic chiefs.

Question 8

During what centuries did Etruscan societies begin implementing republics?

Answer 8

5th and 6th centuries BCE

Question 9

In relation to religion, what is “Etruscan Learning”?

Answer 9

An elaborate set of rules that aided the priests in their interpretations of natural phenomena to:
1. predict the future
2. and determine the will of the gods.

Question 10

In what specific way was early Rome heavily influenced by the Etruscans?

Answer 10

While initially ruled by kings, during the 6th century BCE, Rome replaced their monarchy with a republic.
- The Etruscans replaced their monarchies during the 5th and 6th centuries BCE.

Question 11

Senate is derived from which Latin word? What does it mean?

Answer 11

1. Senex
2. “old man”

Question 12

What was the ultimate authority in domestic and foreign affairs?

Answer 12

SENATE

Question 13

While the senate was not legally binding, they held a different kind of authority. What kind of authority?

Answer 13

The senate had a kind of moral authority.

Question 14

Despite lacking legal authority, the senate was seldom ignored. Why was this the case? Why is this reasoning also ironic?

Answer 14

1. The Senate was seen as working together with the people of Rome to further Rome’s objectives.
   - hence the phrase “senatus populus que Romanus” appearing everywhere in Rome.
2. It was no coincidence that in the popular phrase above, the word “senatus” appears before “populus.”

Question 15

What is the sequence called that elected magistracies follow? What are the ranking of these offices from lowest to highest power?

Answer 15

CURSUS HONORUM
1. Quaestor - financial official
2. Aedile - public works
3. Praetor - legal official
4. Consul - chief executives of the Roman state

Question 16

What is the legal position quaestor considered to be? What are some examples of what this position takes care of?

Answer 16

QUAESTOR - financial official
- collecting taxes
- giving out money
- keeping official records

Question 17

What is the legal position aedile responsible for?
What are some examples of what this position takes care of?

Answer 17

AEDILE - public works
- construction and financing of public buildings
- organizing religious festivals

Question 18

While the position of aedile often placed its position holder in debt, what was the benefit of this position?

Answer 18

IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE POSITION HOLDER TO SPEND LAVISHLY IN ORDER TO GAIN PUBLIC ATTENTION AND FAVOR.
- prime example: Julius Caesar

Question 19

What is the legal position praetor responsible for?
What are some examples of what this position takes care of?

Answer 19

PRAETOR - legal official
- they would determine if a case adhered to the proper formulae in Roman law before it went to court.

Question 20

What is the legal position consul responsible for?
What are some examples of what this position takes care of?

Answer 20

CONSUL - chief executive of the Roman state
- directed the government in the execution of duties
- led the army
- executed the political will of the senate

Question 21

Concisely describe the interesting position of the consul in relation to the senate.

Answer 21

THE CONSUL REPRESENTED AND ANSWERED TO THE SENATE

Question 22

The consul was allowed to take a specific course of action which granted them an immense amount of authority. What was this course of action called? If this course of action was taken, what kinds of privileges did the consul gain?

Answer 22

1. IMPERIUM
2. With this power, the consul could:
   - command an army
   - call a meeting of the senate
   - impose the death penalty

Question 23

In serious circumstances, a temporary one man rule could take place. What was this called? What were some key aspects of this temporary rule?

Answer 23

DICTATOR
1. They had absolute power
2. Were chosen by the consul/senate
3. Had a magister equituum (i.e. an assistant)
4. Remained in Rome to fulfill administration roles to ensure Rome continued to function

Question 24

What were the two assemblies that represented plebeians during the beginning of the Republic? What are some notable aspects of each?

Answer 24

1. Comitia Curiata - most prominent during the early years of the republic.
2. Comitia Centuriata - mirrored the Roman army
   - could veto legislation
   - responsible for the election of the magistrates
   - could hear appeals of legal cases involving capital charge.

Question 25

What was the only position that could summon assemblies as well as would control the agenda of the meeting?

Answer 25

MAGISTRATES with the powers of imperium.

Question 26

Ordinary citizens did not have freedom of speech
during assemblies, which two things were they able to do?

Answer 26

They could vote on the:
1. proposals
or
2. candidates
brought before them.

Question 27

What caused the Struggle of the Orders? What was the most important outcome of this?

Answer 27

1. Mass discontent among Roman lower classes due to:
   - economic turmoil
   - and the exclusion of plebeians from participating in government.
2. CREATION OF TRIBUNIS PLEBIS (494 BCE)

Question 28

In response to the “first succession,” plebian’s going on mass strike, the office of Tribunus Plebis was created in 494 BCE. What was significant regarding the role of the tribune? What were the powers this office held?

Answer 28

Tribunus Plebis - the person holding this position was sacrosanct.
1. Could protect someone from a magistrate’s powers.
2. Could propose legislation to the Concilium Plebis
3. In later years, gained the power of veto over any piece of legislation.

Question 29

What was the Concilium Plebis?

Answer 29

A council of plebiscites that excluded patricians.

Question 30

Who acted in the role as consul in 451 BCE? What significant events occurred during this time?

Answer 30

The regular constitution was suspended in favor of the decemvirate, chaired by Appius Claudius.

EVENTS:
1. Undertook the task of codifying and writing down the Roman laws (not completed until 450 BCE by diff council)
2. Second succession of plebs (stemmed from the attempted rape of plebeian Virginia by Appius)
3. Resignation of decemvirs

Question 31

What is “the twelve tables”?

Answer 31

The name of the first law code in Rome.

Question 32

Which new office was added to the cursus honorum in 444 BCE? What was it responsible for?

Answer 32

THE CENSORSHIP - a new magistracy, elected every 5 years.
- counted Roman citizens
- assigned citizens to property classes
- enrolled new citizens
- ejected senators who were deemed immoral

Question 33

What notable event occurred in 367 BCE?

Answer 33

Licinio-Sextian Legislation
- Plebeians were now allowed to participate in all areas of government including consulship.

Question 34

From 800-500 BCE, what three culture groups had significant impact on the development of Rome while they were inhabiting Italy? What are an additional 9 culture groups also found in Italy during this time?

Answer 34

SIGNIFICANT
1. Etruscans
2. Greeks
3. Phoenicians

OTHERS
1. Ligurians
2. Gauls/Celts
3. Veneti
4. Umbro-Sabellians
5. Faliscans-Latins
6. Oscans
7. Iapygians
8. Piceni/Picentes
9. Sicels

Question 35

What major offices were found in the Roman
Republic? Rank them from least to most powerful.

Answer 35

1. Quaestors
2. Tribunes
3. Aediles
4. Censors
5. Praetors
6. Consuls