Class notes from friday and monday

Who settled Rome?

• etruscans 
• came from north-central part of the peninsula
• metalworkers, artists, and architects
• two foundation myths
• virgil's aeneid- where aneas escapes from troy
• story of romiulus and remus 

Greeks

• had colonies around the mediterranean sea
• romans borrowed ideas from the greeks such as:
• religious beliefs
• alphabet
• democracy 

Latins

• descendants of indo-europeans
• settled on the banks of Tiber River
• situated so trading ships- but not war fleets- could navigate as far as rome
• a commercial part, but not susceptible to attack
•  build on Thillis

Thillis

• Remus wanted Aventine
• Romulus vhose Palestine
• Rome named after Romulus
• many streams flowed into Tiber River
• marshy area is called the Forum
• Tarquin the Proud's grandfather built the Cloaca Maxima (largest ancient drain), channeled water into Tiber River.
• Urban Legend says D.C. was built on a swamp- only 2% was swampland
• constitution Avenue is located on, what used to be called, Tiber Creek 

"If you dont learn from history, you're doomed to repeat it."

Test Quest

• Lucius Tarquinias 
• the 7th final king of rome
• known as tarquin the Proud or the Arrogant
• a true tyrant inn ancient and modern times
• ** The people's shock at this horrible family and their terrible behavior made them NEVER want to be subject to the rule of kings EVER**
• this was an attitude that would last for centuries

Consuls

• rule of kings is replaced by two consuls
• consuls are elected officials
• term of office:one year
• consuls were always aristocrats aka. Patricians
• patricians traced their descent from a famous ancestor or pater "father"
• duties of consul: dealing justice, making laws, commanding the army
• one consul could veto the other 

Plebians stand up

• fith century BCE patrcian dominance of the government was challenged by the plebs
• plebs were 98% of the population
• how patricians dominate:
• plebs had to serve in the army, but could not hold office
• plebs were threatened with debt slavery
• plebs had no legal rights
• plebs were victims of discriminatory decisions in judicial trials 
• rome had no actual laws
• patricians could interpret these "laws" to their own advantage
• SO, plebs refused to serve in the military until...
•  the laws were written out in The Law of Twelve Tables
• these laws on tablets were posted in public 450 B.C.
• tribunes "tribal leaders" were elected (fake power)
• SPQR - senatus populusque Romanium
• designates any decree or decision made by "the roman senate and people"