A Brief History of the Romans: Study Guide for Chapter 2—Rome’s First Centuries - Prof. Jo | Study notes World History

Damien Russell

A Brief History of the Romans

Study Guide: Chapter 2—Rome’s First Centuries

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.

Emergence of an Urban Community

Rome’s location and geography- Near the west coast of Italy. Ancient Rome occupied a group of

hills overlooking the Tiber River. Rome’s location was a favorable one. The hills and river made

defense easy. Two of the most important routes in central Italy passed by the site, one from the

salt pans at the mouth of the Tiber along the banks of the river into the interior, and the other the

coastal road from Etruria to Campania, which crossed the Tiber by a ford here, the closest place

to the sea where this was possible.

Forum Romanum- The valley that was drained in the seventh and sixth centuries would become

the Forum Romanum (Roman Forum), the city’s political and religious center.

Forum Boarium – A small plain that gave access to the Tiber ford; this plain became the Forum

Boarium, the chief market and harbor of urban Rome.

earliest burials The earliest known burials date to around 1000; they mark the beginning of the

first phase of the Latial Culture.

Latial culture- The earliest phase of life here around 1000 marked by the earliest burials and

similar interments at other Latin sites.

Regia- A building erected near the edge of the Forum near the end of the seventh century.

Comitium- Another public space in the end of the seventh century. A sacred space where

officials would summon citizens to vote, to hear legal cases, and to make or be informed about

important public decisions.

Curia Hostilia- A large stone building constructed along the edge of the Comitium. Served as one

of the meeting places for the council of elders known as the senate.

Temple of Vesta- contained the sacred hearth of the city.

Sacra Via- The chief processional route of the city, paved and grated as it entered the southeast

corner of the Forum.

Capitol- One of the major centers for Rome’s civic and religious life.

Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus- constructed on Capitioline hill around the beginning of the

sixth century when finished the temple was one of the largest temples in Italy.

The Romans and Their Early History

BOX 2.1: Romulus Founds Rome Plutarch writing in Greek around A.D. 100 presents Romulus

as founding Rome with just the same rites that the founders of Rome’s own colonies used in the

fourth century B.C. and later. A trench was dug around what is now the comitium, and in it were

deposited first fruits of whatever was considered good by custom and necessary by nature. Each

man brought a small portion of their native soil and threw it in where it all mixed together. They

call this trench the Mundus, as they did the heavens. They marked out the city in a circle around

this center. Then a cow and a bull with a bronze ploughshare on a plough, plough a deep furrow

around the boundary lines, people follow the plow and turn inward, to face the city, the clods of

dirt thrown up by the plow leaving none facing out. With this line, they marked the course of the

wall, which is called by contraction pomerium, in other words, “behind the wall” (post murum).

Where they intended to place the gate the plough was lifted to leave an empty space. This is why

the entire wall is sacred except the gate.

Romulus (Remus?)(753-715) Romulus founded the city.

Numa Pompilius(715-653)- set the pattern for Rome’s religious life.

Servius Tullius (578-535)- the sixth king was virtually the second founder to the city.

Tarquinius Superbus(534-510)- Rome’s last king who falls along with Rome’s monarchy.

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A Brief History of the Romans Study Guide: Chapter 2—Rome’s First Centuries 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. Emergence of an Urban Community  Rome’s location and geography- Near the west coast of Italy. Ancient Rome occupied a group of hills overlooking the Tiber River. Rome’s location was a favorable one. The hills and river made defense easy. Two of the most important routes in central Italy passed by the site, one from the salt pans at the mouth of the Tiber along the banks of the river into the interior, and the other the coastal road from Etruria to Campania, which crossed the Tiber by a ford here, the closest place to the sea where this was possible.  Forum Romanum- The valley that was drained in the seventh and sixth centuries would become the Forum Romanum (Roman Forum), the city’s political and religious center.  Forum Boarium – A small plain that gave access to the Tiber ford; this plain became the Forum Boarium, the chief market and harbor of urban Rome.  earliest burials The earliest known burials date to around 1000; they mark the beginning of the first phase of the Latial Culture.  Latial culture- The earliest phase of life here around 1000 marked by the earliest burials and similar interments at other Latin sites.  Regia- A building erected near the edge of the Forum near the end of the seventh century.  Comitium- Another public space in the end of the seventh century. A sacred space where officials would summon citizens to vote, to hear legal cases, and to make or be informed about important public decisions.  Curia Hostilia- A large stone building constructed along the edge of the Comitium. Served as one of the meeting places for the council of elders known as the senate.  Temple of Vesta- contained the sacred hearth of the city.  Sacra Via- The chief processional route of the city, paved and grated as it entered the southeast corner of the Forum.  Capitol- One of the major centers for Rome’s civic and religious life.  Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus- constructed on Capitioline hill around the beginning of the sixth century when finished the temple was one of the largest temples in Italy. The Romans and Their Early History  BOX 2.1: Romulus Founds Rome Plutarch writing in Greek around A.D. 100 presents Romulus as founding Rome with just the same rites that the founders of Rome’s own colonies used in the fourth century B.C. and later. A trench was dug around what is now the comitium, and in it were deposited first fruits of whatever was considered good by custom and necessary by nature. Each man brought a small portion of their native soil and threw it in where it all mixed together. They call this trench the Mundus, as they did the heavens. They marked out the city in a circle around this center. Then a cow and a bull with a bronze ploughshare on a plough, plough a deep furrow around the boundary lines, people follow the plow and turn inward, to face the city, the clods of dirt thrown up by the plow leaving none facing out. With this line, they marked the course of the wall, which is called by contraction pomerium, in other words, “behind the wall” (post murum). Where they intended to place the gate the plough was lifted to leave an empty space. This is why the entire wall is sacred except the gate.  Romulus (Remus?)(753-715) Romulus founded the city.  Numa Pompilius(715-653)- set the pattern for Rome’s religious life.  Servius Tullius (578-535)- the sixth king was virtually the second founder to the city.  Tarquinius Superbus(534-510)- Rome’s last king who falls along with Rome’s monarchy.

 753 BC- The date proposed by Marcus Terentus Varro (116-27 B.C.), of Romulus founding of Rome. Now the generally adopted date of the founding. Rome under the Kings  rex- the latin word for king.  Rome’s territory in 6th c.- Romans regularly celebreated rites that marked the boundaries of their territory centuries earlier. Certain rituals preserved he memory of a time when this territory encompassed only about seventy-five square miles and Rome’s frontiers were no more than five miniles from the city in any direction. By the end of the sixth century, however, Rome had become much larger. Its territory probably coverd almost 300 square miles while the population may have been as high as 35,000.  mobility of elite families- Some aristocrats and their followers moved from city to city, taking up in the new place the position they had abandoned in the old.  Tarquin the Elder- was thought to have moved to Rome from the Etruscan city of Tarquinii.  Claudii- Came to Rome around 500 were aristocrats. Came to the city with great bodies of clients, having left its native Sabine country to the northeast after suffering political setbacks there.  populus Romanus - the mass of adult male citizens.  gentes and curia gentes are clans. Together as a larger unit is known as curia. The Roman Curiae, supposedly thirty in number came together to form three tribes. For Rome the Curiae had important religious functions in which aristocrats took the lead.  Census- a compilation of a list of adult male Romans, in which they were classified by wealth and by residence, rather than by kinship.  Classis Those that could afford to equip themselves for service on foot, aka, those summoned.  infra classem- Those who could not afford to equip themselves. “below those not summoned”.  Centuriae- Those who belonged to Classis were further divided into units known as centuries (centuriea; singular centuria).The term centuria should denote a group of exactly one hundred men.  Legion- Commanders raised armies by summoning citizens to gatherings where they chose their soldiers from those eligible to serve. The force rose in this way is called a Legion (legio; plural Legiones), which signified that it stemmed from a selection process- the verb legere meaning either “to collect” or “to pick”. Rome and the Latins  Aeneas- The ancestor of all Latins, a noble Trojan who escaped from Troy as it fell to the besieging Greeks.  Lavinium- A city near Latium, though Lavinium would come later. Aeneas supposedly landed in Latium.  Alba Longa- Founded by the son of Aeneas. The seat of kings who would rule Latium and found the other Latin cities.  nomen Latinum – the name of Latin.  Latiar- The Latin festival held in honor of Jupiter Latiaris.  Connubium- A right to make a lawful marriage with a resident of any other Latin city(children of the marriage gained the citizenship status of the father; children born outside marriage gained their mother’s status).  Commercium- A right that allowed Latins to own land in any of the Latin cities and to make legally enforceable contracts with their citizens. The Early Republic  Lucius Tarquinius Superbus described as a tyrant Rome’s last king who was expelled.  Lucretia- The wife of Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus who was assalted by Sextus Tarquinius, she kills herself.

have had such origins. Claimed privileges that ensured their leadership. Claimed to have exclusive rights over the religious life of Rome, a central aspect of communal life.  Plebeians- common folk.  Auspices – “take the auspices” rites by which an officeholder sought the approval of the gods to take up his office for the first time and, while serving, their support for all his official actions.  pax deorum- “right relationship” with the gods.  divisions within plebs- a wide range of status and roles in the city. Some were not even poor.  Secession – the plebeians’ main weapon, was a kind of strike in time of war, and that their major succeses derived from this. In a secession, plebeian members of an army would withdraw to a hill outside of Rome, choose leaders, and refuse to cooperate with the magistrates of the city until their grievances had been addressed.  populus Romanus- leaders of the roman people as a whole. Were expected to provide political, military, and religious leadership in matter of general concern.  tribunes of the plebs- The plebeians’ first major gain was the right to choose their own leaders, the tribunes of the plebs (tribune plebis; their title may have been intended to provide a clear contrast with the military tribunes who were in many of these years the Republic’s chief officials.  Aediles- along with the plebeian tribunes established their won cult site at the temple of Ceres, the goddess of grain.  Temples of Ceres on Aventine Hill- a cult site.  Auxilium- the giving of aid.  Sacrosanctity- Plebeians took an oath to regard anyone who laid hands on a tribune as an outlaw liable to be killed without penalty.

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