Rome Flashcards
Why the Romans got rid of kings
The last king, Tarquin the Proud, was overthrown after his son, Sextus, assaulted Lucretia. Outrage led to the formation of the Roman Republic in 509 BCE
The Tarquin Conspiracy
Tarquin attempted to reclaim power through a conspiracy involving Roman nobles. It was uncovered, and the conspirators were executed
Battle of Silva Arsia
Fought between Tarquin’s forces (supported by Etruscans) and Rome. The Romans won but lost their consul, Brutus
Reforms of Valerius Publicola
Allowed appeal against magistrate
Strengthened Republican institutions
Enacted laws to limit tyranny
Heroic acts of Cocles, Gaius Mucius, and Cloelia
Horatius Cocles defended a bridge alone against an Etruscan attack
Gaius Mucius attempted to assassinate an enemy leader, burning his own hand to prove Roman resilience
Cloelia escaped Etruscan captivity, freeing other hostages
The Battle of Lake Regillus
Fought around 496 BCE, this battle saw Rome defeat the Latin League, allegedly with divine intervention from Castor and Pollux
Causes of the First Secession
Plebeians faced debt slavery and economic hardship.
Patricians monopolized political power and land ownership.
Plebeians had no official representation in government.
Events of the First Secession
Plebeians withdrew from Rome in protest (c. 494 BCE).
Refused military service, pressuring patricians for reforms.
Patricians, fearing instability, negotiated with plebeian leaders.
Consequences of the First Secession
Creation of the Tribune of the Plebs, granting plebeians representation.
Tribunes gained the power to veto decisions that harmed plebeians.
Key figures like Coriolanus opposed reforms and faced exile.
Spurius Cassius proposed land reforms but was executed.
Valerius Publilius supported plebeian rights and legal changes.
First Decemvirate:
Established in 451 BCE, the Decemvirate was a board of ten officials tasked with codifying Roman laws.
Their work resulted in the creation of the Twelve Tables, Rome’s first written legal code, which laid the foundation for Roman law.
Second Decemvirate:
In 450 BCE, a new Decemvirate was appointed to complete the legal code.
The second Decemvirate’s tenure ended in controversy, with accusations of tyranny and abuse of power, leading to their removal and the restoration of the traditional magistracies.
Rape of Verginia:
In 449 BCE, the tragic story of Verginia, a young Roman woman, highlighted the abuses of power by the Decemvirs.
Verginia’s death sparked public outrage and led to the downfall of the Decemvirate, reinstating the authority of the tribunes and the plebeians.
The Second Secession and Its Consequences:
In 449 BCE, the plebeians withdrew from Rome in protest against the Decemvirs’ tyranny.
The secession forced the Senate to restore the tribunes’ powers and led to the establishment of the office of the tribune of the plebs as a permanent institution.
