The Republic

• The Rape of Lucretia:

  1. Collatinus bragged about his wife, Lucretia, being the best. Sextus decided to test it by seeing what both their wives were doing.
  2. Lucretia was weaving, Sextus' wife was being sociable so Lucretia was the better wife.
  3. Sextus was guest at Lucretia's. He threatened her life and her honour before raping her.
  4. Lucretia sends for her husband Collatinus (with Brutus) and her father Lucretius (with P|ubius Valerius). They tell her she is innocent but she kills herself.
  5. Brutus speaks against Superbus' reign and makes the men swear on Lucretia's life that they will avenge her.
• The Tarquin Conspiracy:

  1. After gaining the support of the Roman Army, Brutus suggested that Collatinus should resign as Consul and the Tarquin family should leave Rome.
  2. Publius Valerius Publicola and Brutus became consuls.
  3. Superbus demanded return of his property. The Senate refused to seize his land, which Brutus wanted to do because of Superbus' tyrannical actions.
  4. Patricians, such as Brutus' sons, plotted to kill Brutus. Plublius discovered the plot and Brutus executed his sons.
  5. The Senate voted to seize Superbus' land.
• Brutus' backing in the wars of independence:

  • The Senate
  • The people of Rome
  • (SPQR)
• Superbus' backing in the wars of independence:

  • The Latin League ( a collection of Latin cities which cooperated to maintain peace and encourage trade)
  • Lars Porsena of Clusium
• The Battle of Silva Arsia:

  1. Arruns, son of Superbus, and Brutus killed each other at start of the battle.
  2. Both of the right wings of each army are beating the left wing of the other army.
  3. At night, the Etruscans and Superbus panic and return home.
  4. A voice, Silvanus, says the Etruscans lost one more man than the Romans so the Republic won.
  5. Publius Valerius collects the spoils of war and gives Brutus a proper funeral.
  6. All the matrons grieve for over a year to mourn Brutus who was like a father for avenging Lucretia.
• Gaius Mucius Scaevola:

  1. Scaevola planned to use his knowledge of Etruscan customs to kill Porsena but when he broke into his tent, he killed Porsena's secretary because he didn't know what Porsena looked like.
  2. Mucius was arrested and told Porsena that he was the first of 300 men who would try and kill him.
  3. Gaius then put his right hand into fire and Porsena was impressed (and intimidated) by his bravery.
  4. Porsena compromised and ended the war with Rome if Rome guaranteed Veii's independence and provided hostages to Clusium.
• Cloelia:

  • As part of peace treaty Lars Porsena received some hostages, including Cloelia
  • She escaped across the Tiber to Rome, by swimming or on horseback.
  • She was handed back to Porsena who, admiring her bravery, freed her and other hostages.
  • Only Roman female with equestrian statue.
• Horatius Cocles:

  • The road between Etruria and Rome was defended by a fortress and a bride across the river Tiber.
  • Horatius Cocles, Spurius Lartius and Titus Herminius, defended the bridge, which could be easily defended due to its narrowness.
  • The Romans started to dismantle the bridge from the Roman side.
  • Horatius prayed to the river Tiber to protect him and jumped into the river just as the bridge collapsed.
  • The Etruscan invasion had been stopped and Horatius was hailed as a hero and had a statue erected to honour him in Rome.
• Lake Regilius:

  1. Postumius - dictator- and Aebutius - master of horse - met the Tarquinii and Latin army at Lake Regilius. P. charged at Superbus, who got stabbed in the side, and Ae. charged at Mamilius, who was stabbed in breast and survived but injured Ae's' arm.
  2. Marcus Valerius (Publicola's brother) charged at Lucius T's cohort and died. P. saw this and told his army any retreating Roman was the enemy.
  3. Herminius, Roman lieutenant, saw attacked Mamilius but was struck by a hostile javelin in the process.
  4. Rome won. P. rewarded soldiers 1 & 2 to enter camp. Vowed a temple to Castor.
• The Conflict of The Orders:

  Debt, homelessness and poverty caused unrest among the Plebs and the Senate refused to help relieve the problems, leading to 2 Pleb. secession from Rome, causing the creation of the 12 Tablets and plebeian tribunes.

  The Conflict of The Orders described the period of unrest and tension between plebs and patricians between 494 and 287.
• The Story of the War Veteran:

  An old man had fought for the Republic but was treated badly when he returned home as he was a Plebeian.

  His home was destroyed in the war, his farm had been sold without his permission and he was thrown in jail and tortured.

  He told the forum what had happened, causing mighty uproar that spread to the whole city.
• The First Secession:

  1. After the Story of the War Veteran, a Plebeian revolt happened.
  2. They wanted the Senate to come but not many senators came due to fear of attack.
  3. Plebs. thought they were being ignored and mocked so became even angrier.
  4. The Senate and consuls were split: Appias Claudias wanted to crush the plebeians but Publius Servilius wanted to compromise and improve plebeian life.
  5. Plebeians met in secret to discuss options
  6. Rome's enemy - the Volscii - tried to take advantage because the army was mainly made of plebs so Rome barely had an army.
• Proposals for the first secession:

  • Publius Virginius - financial relief for veterans only
  • Titus Larcius - redistribute wealth
  • Appias Claudias - appoint a dictator
• Dictator Valerius:

  Valerius was appointed as dictator and appealed to the people, saying that he did not want power and would put their case to the Senate. His speech assembled 10 legions to defeat the Sabine, Aequi and Volsci threat. On his return, he asked the senate for debt relief but they refused and Valerius resigned.
• Sicinius:

  1. He sent the army away and was chosen as the tribune. He told plebs to go to the Sacred Mount.
  2. Plebs refused negotiations until debt relief was promised. When 2 new consuls were appointed, the Senate sent Agrippa to talk to the plebs as he was a patrician from a honourable pleb. family.
  3. Agrippa described Rome as a body that requires all its body parts to function, convincing plebs to negotiate.
  4. Appius refused compromise and replaced plebs. with Latin workers.
  5. Brutus Juncius and Sicinius presented case for plebs and proposed creation of pleb. magistrates called tribunes.
• The failure of the Tribunes:

  • Coriolanus;
  • Spurius Cassius and the demand for Agrarian law;
  • Volero Publilius.
• Coriolanus:

  • Blamed famine on plebs and said they should starve so raised food prices.
  • Tribunes threatened to put him on trial but he ignored them.
  • Tribunes told plebs. to use mob violence so Senate offered Coriolanus as a scapegoat to decrease food prices back to the original.
  • He fled to Volsci and encouraged them to wage war on Rome.
• Spurius Cassius and the demand for Agrarian Law:

  • Agrarian law = a redistribution of land or a change of the way land is formed.
  • Consul Cassius signed a peace treaty with Hernici in 486 BC and got 60% of their land, which he wanted to split between plebs and Latins.
  • Senators accused him of wanting to become a tyrant through largesse (bribery) of plebs and Latins.
  • Plebs. became suspicious, especially considering Cassius wanted to establish a tyranny.
  • His plan backfired and he was executed in 485 (Livy)
• Volero Publilius:

  • 473, plebeian Volero refused to join army as an ordinary soldier because he had once been a commander.
  • To avoid arrest, he said the tribunes were too scared or too friendly with the senate to help the people. The mob turned on the lictors and he escaped.
  • He successfully campaigned to be the next tribune (with Appias Claudias Jr. as consul)
  • In 472 and demanded a change to the tribune voting system, which would remove the Senates influence on who became Tribune
  • Claudius was coerced into accepting the law to prevent civil unrest.
• Gaius Terentilius:

  • 467 Quintus Fabius said that land taken from the Volsci should become pleb. colonies.
  • Reducing the demand for land reform weakened tribune's influence.
  • Gaius used the absence of the consuls as a chance to propose a written constitution to define and limit the powers of the consuls as they abused their powers and acted with more freedom than the kings.
  • Fabius called him a traitor and asked him to present his ideas to the consuls when they returned.
  • The Senate agreed Terentilius' ideas were worth investigating but delayed voting until more information was there.
• The indictment of Appius Claudius Jr. (the younger) by the tribunes, 470:

  • Appius refused to acknowledge the charges against him leading to widespread unrest.
  • The trial was suspended to avoid further conflict.
  • Appias died during this suspension.
  • The Volero reforms had strengthened the tribunes. The reduction of senatorial influence allowed the plebs. to elect people who were more likely to represent them.
• The Creation of the 1st Decemvirate:

  • The tribunes realised that Terentilius' demands weren't going to be met.
  • In 454, the new tribunes agreed to drop Terentilius' demands if the senators allowed plebs. to participate in the selection of lawgivers.
  • The Senate agreed and sent ambassadors to Athens to investigate its laws.
  • Athens was a democracy with equal rights. The laws of Solon were believed to have helped create this.
  • In 452 on their return, the Senate created the Decimvirate, a council of 10 patrician men, to create a new law code.
  • The Decimvirate replaced the tribunes and consuls.
• The Rule of the Second Decemvirate (451):

  • Appias Claudius Crassus (Appius Claudius' grandson) helped create the first 10 tables of laws. He became a hero of plebs. but was deceiving them to become a tyrant.
  • Despite widespread approval, Roman historians say they wanted 2 more tablets.
  • 10 more men would be chosen to create these tablets.
  • Livy made it clear that plebs. were content so did not demand return of the tribunes.
• The Tyranny of the Second Decemvirate:

  • Crassus' popularity among the plebs. concerned many senators, who feared he would want to control the 2nd Decem.
  • To combat this, they put him in charge of the selection process, believing he wouldn't be arrogant enough to elect himself with 9 allies.
  • He used his new powers to attack the plebs. and remove his enemies. in 449, they announced their intention to rule for another year.
  • The 2 new tablets protected Patricians (e.g. by banning intermarriage between plebs. and patricians.)
• Valerius' and Horatius' opposition to the decemvirate:

  • A Sabine army attacked a Roman colony and the Aequi attacked Algidus the Decem. called a meeting of the Senate to assemble an army.
  • No senators attended the meeting and plebs. refused to enlist. Crassus said the Senate could only vote to approve military action.
  • Lucius Valerius Potitius and Marcus Horatius Barbatus said they were acting like kings, and they would have the same fate as Superbus.
  • The majority of the Senate were scared of pleb unrest so voted for an army.
  • The new army had no heart and suffered many defeats.
• The Abduction of Virginia:

  • Virginia was engaged to Icilius and refused Crass. so he got Marcus Claudius to claim she was a runaway slave, so she could be put on trial.
  • Virginia contacted her father Verginias - fighting at Algidus. Crass. agreed to wait if she accompanied him home.
  • Icilius told the crowd that Crass. wanted to rape Virginia so they turned against Crass., who told Virginia to leave and ordered her to return the next day.
  • Crass. dismissed their evidence against him and declared them traitors and Virgina a slave.
  • He stabbed his daughter on the just to preserve her freedom.
• Virginias and the second Secession:

  • When he returned to his camp, he told everyone what had happened.
  • Many soldiers left the battlefield and joined a second secession on the Aventine Hill.
  • Icilius encouraged the army fighting the Sabines to do the same thing.
• Impact of the second Secession:

  • Senate was alarmed and sent envoys to Aventine. The soldiers said they would only speak to Valerius or Horatius.
  • V and H said they would not meet soldiers unless the Decem. handed power back to the consuls. They refused.
  • Once the soldiers found out, they took their families and themselves to the Sacred Mount.
  • The Decem. agreed to disband if they were protected from prosecution. V, H and soldiers demanded restoration of tribunes and the indictment of the Decem.
  • Valerius wanted to end the relentless war between the 2 orders.
• Valerius-Horatian Laws:

  • V and H became consuls and Verginias and Icilius were 2 other the 10 tribunes elected.
  • V and H restored and strengthened the right to appeal.
  • Inviolability (legal protection from violence/harm) of the tribunes and their assistants - the Aediles - was restored.
  • Crassus was indicted so he killed himself. The other members of the 2nd Decem. went into exile of committed suicide.
• The 12 Tables:

  • Before easing armies to destroy the Sabine and Aequi threat, Valerius and Horatius published the Twelve Tables.
  • They were available to all in precise and simple language and gave the Roman citizen basic civil rights.
  • They did not establish the idea that 'everyone was equal before the law.'
• Legal changes in Rome to 440 bc:

  • 12 tables and V-H laws were flawed and encourage plebs. to demand more.
  • In 445, Gaius Canuleius lifted the ban on intermarriage and argued plebs. should have the right to stand in consul elections.
  • The Senate compromised and allowed plebs to become military tribunes, giving elected plebs or patricians the power to command armies and seek the same glory as a victorious consul.