Rome notes

Today in class we took these notes:

• Estruscans: 
• came from North-central
• metalworkers, artists, architects
• Greeks: 
• had many colonies around mediterranean sea
• Romans borrowed ideas from them, such as:
• religious beliefs
• alphabet
• much of their art
• military
• techniques
• weaponry
• Latins: 
• descendants of indo-Europeans 
• settled on the banks of the Tiber
• situated so trading ships could navigate as far as Rome
• built on the seven hills (palatine) 
• many streams flowed into the Tiber 
• There was a marshy area called the Forum, between palatine and Capitoline hills
• Tarquin the Proud's grandfather built the Cloaca Maxima into the Tiber 
• Lucuis Tarquinias Superbus 
• The seventh final King of Rome
• Known as Tarquin the Proud (Tarquin the arrogant) 
• True tyrant, in the old and modern sense
• Tarquin was driven out and the people decided they didn't want any more kings
• there is a painting of sextus attacking Lucretia called "the rape of Lucretia" 
• Rule of kings is replaced by rule of two consuls
• elected officials 
• one term: one year
• almost always aristocrats
• duties: dealing justice, making law, commanding army 
• one consul could veto another 
• fifthe century BCE - patrician dominance of government was challenged by the plebs 
• plebs were 98% of population 
• How did patricians dominate?
• Plebs served in the army
• couldn't serve in the army
• couldn't hold office
• threatened by debt slavery
• no legal rights
• Rome had no laws, just unwritten customs 
• Patricians could interpret laws to their advantage 
• Plebs refused to serve in the military until... 
• laws were written out (Twelve Tablets) 
• laws were posted in public 
• tribunes were elected