Republic of Rome

• Ancient Roman society was divided into two classes: patricians and plebeians
• Patricians consisted of nobles and owners of huge lands
• Plebeians consisted of families who were common laborers, farmers, and traders
• Both patricians and plebeians had the right to vote, pay taxes, and serve in the Roman army
• At first, plebeians did not have the right to serve in the government
• Only males who reached a certain age and freemen were considered citizens
• Rome transitioned from a monarchy to a republic led by two consuls
• Consuls governed every aspect of Roman society with limited powers
• Consuls served for a year and could not serve a second term within ten years
• The Senate, consisting of 300 patricians who served for life, appointed consuls
• In times of crisis, the Senate could appoint a dictator with absolute powers for six months
• All Roman citizens who owned land were obligated to serve in the army
• Large army groups were called legions, consisting of 6000 legionaries
• Legions were divided into smaller units called centuries, with 60 to 120 legionaries in each century
• In 494 B.C.E., plebeians protested for more rights and an assembly of ten tribunes was formed
• Tribunes had the power to make laws for the plebeians and later for the Republic
• In 451 B.C.E., the Twelve Tables were created, promoting the rights of plebeians in various aspects
• Under the Republic, Rome gradually conquered neighboring territories, aiming to become the most powerful in the Mediterranean
• The conflict with the Carthaginian Empire led to the Punic Wars
• By 70 BCE, Rome reached the peak of its power, extending influence to the east and calling the Mediterranean Sea "mare nostrum"
• The gap between the rich and the poor widened in Roman society, leading to tension
• The Gracchus brothers proposed reforms to address poverty but did not succeed
• Civil wars erupted in Rome, leading to generals like Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla taking power
• Sulla declared himself dictator after winning the civil war from 88 to 82 B.C.E.
• Julius Caesar, along with Marcus Licinius Crassus and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, formed the First Triumvirate
• Caesar's conquests and growing influence led to a civil war against Pompey, resulting in Caesar's dictatorship
• Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C.E., leading to the formation of the Second Triumvirate
• The Second Triumvirate, consisting of Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus, ended in a struggle for power
• Octavian emerged victorious, becoming imperator and Augustus, ruling Rome as the most powerful empire in the Mediterranean region