Rome Notes

Today we took a lot of notes:

Hey we got three governments rolled into one Patricians and plebeians havin' some fun

•  Rule of kings is replaced by rule of two consuls (“gotta be better than one”)
• consuls are elected officials
• term of office: one year
• always aristocrats (patricians)
• patricians traced their descent from a famous ancestor, or pater (“father”)
• duties: dealing justice, making law, commanding the army
• one consul could veto the other (reducing the power of the individuals 

Then a challenge from the "regular folks"

•  fifth century BCE - patrician dominance of the government was challenged by the plebs (“people”) 
• plebs were 98% of the population
• how did the patricians dominate?
  • plebs had to serve in the army, but couldn't hold office
  • plebs were threatened with debt slavery
  • plebs had no legal rights 

"no legal rights" you say?

• plebs were victims of discriminatory decisions in judicial trials
• Rome had no actual laws, just unwritten customs
• patricians could interpret these to their own advantage

So, plebs refused to serve in the military until…

• laws were written out (The Law of the Twelve Tables)

• these laws (on tablets) were posted in public (in 450 BCE) 
• tribunes (“tribal leaders”) were elected 

SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanum

• designated any decree or decision made by the Roman Senate and people
• res publica - the people's affairs
  

Brand new republic, ready to run

• democracy (the people’s assembly and the tribunes
• aristocracy (the Senate - approx. 300 members)
• plus monarchy (the consuls)
• not a tyranny

Government: ancient Roman/US

• originally, the US modeled their new government on the model used by the ancient Romans
• is it exactly the same?  not quite…
• but both have three branches of government
• executive
• legislative
• judicial
• and both have a legal code

3 branches

• executive

Rome: 

• two consuls 
• one year terms
• each has veto power
• controls the military
• could appoint a dictator in a crisis for a six-month term 

US:

• President (and VP)
• four year term
• can veto proposed laws
• commander-in-chief

• legislative

Rome:

•  Senate -- 300 people -- aristocrats -- members for life
• Assemblies -- members for life

US:

• Senate -- 100 senators (2 from each state) -- six year term
• House of Representatives -- 435 members -- two year term

• judical

Rome:

•  Praetors
• chosen by the Centuriate Assembly
• one-year term

US:

• supreme court
• nine members
• appointed by the President
• confirmed by the Senate
• lifetime terms

Legal code

Rome:

• Twelve Tables
• publically displayed
• gave rights to plebeians, not just aristocrats
• only protected free born male citizens (not women)
  

US: 

• Bill of Rights
• first ten amendments of the constitution