Week 2: Origins of the Republic

Question 1

Who built Rome’s first walls?

Answer 1

Servius (in 500 BC)

Question 2

What does the presence of Rome’s first walls suggest?

Answer 2

Rome had become an important city

Question 3

What temple gave Rome the status of the leader of the Latin League?

Answer 3

Temple of Diana (Aventine Hill)

Question 4

Describe the terms of the Latin League

Answer 4

• Intermarriage between constituent cities’s citizens encouraged
• Citizenship recognized between all Latin League cities
• Each city had its own king
• Despite being independent, they were all tied to Rome

Question 5

What is the official term for the Roman 2 consul system of the Republic?

Answer 5

Collegiality

Question 6

What restraints on power did the new Republican constitution provide?

Answer 6

• 1 year terms max for each consul
• Ability to vote someone out of power
• Each consul could veto each other’s actions

Question 7

Who was the first consul to step down from office?

Answer 7

Collotinus

(a Tarquin)

Question 8

Why did Collotinus step down?

Answer 8

The Roman people did NOT want to be ruled by a Tarquin

Question 9

Why does Livy praise the consul Valerius?

Answer 9

• Valerius’ co-consul, Brutus was killed in action
• Valerius, after defeating the Alba Longans, returned to Rome alone
• People worried that Valerius might go for kingship, now that he has power alone
• But, Valerius insists on waiting for the election of a new consul

Question 10

What are the 3 power blocks of the Republican System?

Answer 10

1. The 2 Consuls
2. The Senate
3. The Centuriate Assembly

Question 11

What was the monarchial aspect of the Republican system?

Answer 11

The Consuls

Question 12

What was the Democratic aspect of the Republican system?

Answer 12

The Centuriate Assembly (made up of plebeians)

Question 13

What was the Aristocratic aspect of the Republican system?

Answer 13

The Senate (mostly aristocrats

Question 14

True or False: The 2 consuls were completely equal in power.

Answer 14

FALSE

Explanation:

• One consul always had a bit more power than the other, but they took turns for the power role
• Ex. one month, consul 1 would lead the army and consul 2 stayed home for judicial matters, the next month, vice versa.
• Also, only one consul at a time had lictors

Question 15

What was typically seen as the first step away from Monarchy?

Answer 15

• The first formally written constitution
  (The Constitution of the Roman Republic)
• Why? Kings have no need to write things equally for all; A united society does.