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A Brief History of the Romans - Study Guide | HIS 210, Study notes of World History

BHR Chapter 3 Material Type: Notes; Professor: Carlevale; Class: Classical Roman Civ (LAT); Subject: History; University: Berea College; Term: Spring 2011;

Typology: Study notes

2010/2011

Uploaded on 04/04/2011

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Damien Russell
BHR Ch3
A Brief History of the Romans
Study Guide: Chapter 3—Rome and Italy in the Fourth Century
Items and questions on this guide are likely to appear on your next quiz, during which you may use the notes you have
taken on the following. The use of another student’s notes will be treated as academic dishonesty.
Fall of Veii and the Sack of Rome
Siege of Veii 396 BC: Veii was located about 10 miles from Rome. It was a wealthy and powerful city state
similar to Rome and it dominated some of its smaller neighbors, similar to Rome. In the fifth century Veii had
fought over land and leadership of smaller cities. Rome eliminated Veii as an autonomous city state. Veii’s land
became Rome territory, and some of its citizens became Romans. The remainder of the population was enslaved
or expelled. Roman officials placed some citizens on some of the vacant Veii territory.
Gallic invasion 387 BC.: A large army of Gauls were plundering in the upper Tiber Valley when they came down
the river defeated a Roman army and entered the City. Gauls had no political or social organization they would
assemble warbands and raid across the Apennines for centuries. Greeks and Romans regard Gauls as uncivilized,
warlike, predatory, and expansionist.
Marcus Furius Camillus: Roman historians made Camillus the hero both of the final war against Veii and of the
Recovery after the sack of Rome. As dictator he commanded the Roman Army that captured Veii. When the
Gauls entered the city, he was supposedly made dictator again, defeating the Gallic army, recovering the treasure
that the Gauls had taken from the city. As dictator yet again, he was reported to have had a central role in opening
the highest offices to plebeians in 367, a crucial event in the struggle of the orders. Rome’s historians thought he
had been military tribune with consular powers six times and dictator five times.
The City and Its Institutions in the Fourth Century
Two consuls- By 366 military tribunes with consular powers were no longer used. Instead two consuls were
elected each year. During their year they primarily served as generals in Rome’s wars. They entered office in
March, just in time to raise an army for the campaigning season. When they were in the city, they made sacrifices
and performed other rights of the public cults, presided over meetings of the senate, addressed assemblies of
citizens, listened to complaints, and rendered judgment.
Toga praetexta- a special toga bordered in purple worn by the consuls.
Sella curulis- aka “curule; a special chair for the consuls, inlaid with ivory.
Lictors – attendants of various kinds that followed the Consuls around and maintained order in his presence.
There were usually twelve of them per consular.
Fasces- Lictors double headed axe bound in rods.
Replacement of military tribunes by consuls- connected with and important episode in the struggle of the
orders. Two tribunes of the plebs, Gaius Licinius Stolo and Lucius Sextius Lateranus, successfully had a series of
laws passed, the Licinian-Sextian Laws.
Licinian-Sextian Laws- Some of their provisions allegedly addressed matters of land use and debt, but the most
important ones (we are told) fixed the office of consul as the highest in the city and permitted plebeians to
compete for it. Two decades later a law was passed requiring one of the two consuls, elected each year, be a
plebeian. What is important was not the opening of offices to all adult male citizens, but the creation of new
political elite, composed of some patrician families and some plebeian ones.
Praetor- an office created by the Licinian-Sextian reforms, the leading official in Rome when the consuls were
absent on campaign. When necessary the praetor could command an army.
Plebeian office-holding- By 337 plebeians would gain access to this office as well.
Imperium- related to the verb imperare meaning to order or to command. For Romans it had strong religious
associations and its possession provided the essential basis for a higher magistrate’s authority to lead armies and
to punish offenders.
Auspices- Auspicium denoted their right to seek the approval of the gods for their tenure in office and for their
official actions, through the rituals of divination known as the auspices.
Pomerium- the sacred boundary of the city of Rome.
Curule and plebeian aediles- The four aediles maintained temples and the city’s streets, and they also supervised
its markets, where they judged disputes arising from business there.
Quaestors- holders of an office that dated back to the mid-fifth century, they took care of public money and
supervised the treasury and oversaw the funds that generals took on campaign.
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BHR Ch

A Brief History of the Romans Study Guide: Chapter 3—Rome and Italy in the Fourth Century Items and questions on this guide are likely to appear on your next quiz, during which you may use the notes you have taken on the following. The use of another student’s notes will be treated as academic dishonesty. Fall of Veii and the Sack of RomeSiege of Veii 396 BC: Veii was located about 10 miles from Rome. It was a wealthy and powerful city state similar to Rome and it dominated some of its smaller neighbors, similar to Rome. In the fifth century Veii had fought over land and leadership of smaller cities. Rome eliminated Veii as an autonomous city state. Veii’s land became Rome territory, and some of its citizens became Romans. The remainder of the population was enslaved or expelled. Roman officials placed some citizens on some of the vacant Veii territory.  Gallic invasion 387 BC.: A large army of Gauls were plundering in the upper Tiber Valley when they came down the river defeated a Roman army and entered the City. Gauls had no political or social organization they would assemble warbands and raid across the Apennines for centuries. Greeks and Romans regard Gauls as uncivilized, warlike, predatory, and expansionist.  Marcus Furius Camillus: Roman historians made Camillus the hero both of the final war against Veii and of the Recovery after the sack of Rome. As dictator he commanded the Roman Army that captured Veii. When the Gauls entered the city, he was supposedly made dictator again, defeating the Gallic army, recovering the treasure that the Gauls had taken from the city. As dictator yet again, he was reported to have had a central role in opening the highest offices to plebeians in 367, a crucial event in the struggle of the orders. Rome’s historians thought he had been military tribune with consular powers six times and dictator five times. The City and Its Institutions in the Fourth CenturyTwo consuls- By 366 military tribunes with consular powers were no longer used. Instead two consuls were elected each year. During their year they primarily served as generals in Rome’s wars. They entered office in March, just in time to raise an army for the campaigning season. When they were in the city, they made sacrifices and performed other rights of the public cults, presided over meetings of the senate, addressed assemblies of citizens, listened to complaints, and rendered judgment.  Toga praetexta- a special toga bordered in purple worn by the consuls.  Sella curulis- aka “curule; a special chair for the consuls, inlaid with ivory.  Lictors – attendants of various kinds that followed the Consuls around and maintained order in his presence. There were usually twelve of them per consular.  Fasces- Lictors double headed axe bound in rods.  Replacement of military tribunes by consuls- connected with and important episode in the struggle of the orders. Two tribunes of the plebs, Gaius Licinius Stolo and Lucius Sextius Lateranus, successfully had a series of laws passed, the Licinian-Sextian Laws.  Licinian-Sextian Laws- Some of their provisions allegedly addressed matters of land use and debt, but the most important ones (we are told) fixed the office of consul as the highest in the city and permitted plebeians to compete for it. Two decades later a law was passed requiring one of the two consuls, elected each year, be a plebeian. What is important was not the opening of offices to all adult male citizens, but the creation of new political elite, composed of some patrician families and some plebeian ones.  Praetor- an office created by the Licinian-Sextian reforms, the leading official in Rome when the consuls were absent on campaign. When necessary the praetor could command an army.  Plebeian office-holding- By 337 plebeians would gain access to this office as well.  Imperium- related to the verb imperare meaning to order or to command. For Romans it had strong religious associations and its possession provided the essential basis for a higher magistrate’s authority to lead armies and to punish offenders.  Auspices- Auspicium denoted their right to seek the approval of the gods for their tenure in office and for their official actions, through the rituals of divination known as the auspices.  Pomerium- the sacred boundary of the city of Rome.  Curule and plebeian aediles- The four aediles maintained temples and the city’s streets, and they also supervised its markets, where they judged disputes arising from business there.  Quaestors- holders of an office that dated back to the mid-fifth century, they took care of public money and supervised the treasury and oversaw the funds that generals took on campaign.

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Ten tribunes of the plebs- The most important of the lesser office holders. They possessed the right to summon citizens to vote. They guaranteed the rights of citizens against ill-treatment by other magistrates.  lex Hortensia- (Roman laws or leges (singular, lex) ) In 287 the dictator Quintus Hortensius sponsored a law, the lex Hortensia, that supposedly gave to citizen assemblies meeting under the presidency of a tribune of the plebs the right to enact laws binding on the entire community, rather than just on the plebs.  Two censors- The two censors held the only office that was not annual. From 443, these censors replaced the consuls as supervisors of the census. Usually elections would be held every five years, and the successful candidates would hold office for around eighteen months.  Intercession- Any exercise of powers of obstruction, it should be noted, required the action to be blocked. “Intercession” (intercessio), the term for this step, derives from a verb meaning “to step between”.  Senate- Roman officials were expected to consult other before acting the senate filled this advisory role. Met only when summoned by a consul or a praetor, or later, by a tribune of the plebs, and it met in the presence of that official. It could meet only in a place dedicated to the gods, usually in a temple.  Campus Martius- A place for the senate to meet when it was barred from entering the city itself, a consecrated place just beyond the Pomerium.  Advisory role of senate- The senate should only discuss matters put to them by the official who called them together. However, the senate would gradually assume a much more active role. It would come to make decisions in matters of religion, supervise public finances, receive embassies from both allies and enemies, and determine military assignments for consuls and praetors.  Princeps senates- Every year the censors compiled a ranked list of around three hundred senators; the member placed at the head of the list gained the honorific title princeps senates.  Iteration- Lucius Genucius , a tribune of the plebs, had a law passed that prohibited the holding of more than one office at the same time, or of the same office more than once in any ten year period, a practice known as iteration.  contio, contiones- occasions just for discussion and debate.  Comitia- meeting where they actually voted  Concilia- meeting where they actually voted.  Centuriate assembly ( comitia centuriata )- only an official with imperium could summon, was organized like the army with the presiding official acting as a commander and the voters as soldiers. Voting was oral. This voting was organized and tallied by centuries, which voted in turn. Each century possessed one vote, which was itself determined by the votes of a majority of the century’s members who were present. This assembly elected new consuls, praetors, and censors, and voted on matters of war and peace.  Table 3.1: Roman Assemblies Centuriate assembly Tribal assembly Plebeian assembly Composition All citizens All citizens Only Plebeians Voting Units 193 Centuries 35 tribes (after 241BC, 31 rural and 3 urban 35 tribes Presiding Officials Consul or Praetor Consul or praetor Tribune of the plebs Elections Elects consuls, praetors, and censors Elects curule aediles and quaestors Elects tribunes of the plebs and plebeian aediles. Legislative Powers Normally votes only on issues of war and peace. Votes on proposals made by a consul or praetor Votes on proposals made by a tribune of the plebs. Judicial Powers Hears citizen’s appeals on capital charges. Issues verdicts in trials Issues verdicts in trials.  concilium plebis- plebian assembly. Tribunes of the plebs summoned citizens by tribes to elect their successors as tribunes or to accept or reject proposed laws.  Lares- ancestral spirits  Penates- the protective divinities of the house  Divination- some people made vows to favored dities, to be fulfilled if and when the desired outcome should be achieved. Those about to undertake journeys or projects could try to determine the attitude of the gods towards their plans through rites of divination.  Temple of Fortuna Primigenia in Praeneste- A shrine that drew individuals seeking rites of divination.  ludi Romani (BOX 3.1)

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o Tangible benefits for entire populace- Successful warfare brought tangible benefits to many Roman citizens. Distribution of captured land would have enabled many poorer Romans to receive a plot that was sufficient to support their families. o external war reduces internal conflicts- Enslaved people from campaigns were usually put to work on the lands and in the households of Roman citizens. Altogether, the acquisition of wealth through regular campaigns no doubt reduced the level of internal conflicts in the city.