Rome Notes 2

Plebeians → victims of discrimination decisions
No legal rights
No actually rights (not written custom)
Patricians interpreted the laws to their advantages

→ refused to serve in military until
Laws were written out (The Law of the Twelve Table)
Posted in public (450 BC)
Tribunes (tribal leaders)

SPQR: the Roman Senate and People

Res publica (Republic)
- democracy (people assembly and tribunes)
- aristocracy (senate around 300)
- monarchy (consuls)
- no tyranny

Ancient Rome and USA
3 branches (executive, legislative and judicial)
both have legal code

Executive:
Rome
- 2 consuls
- 1 year term
- had power to veto each other
- military
- appointed the dictator
USA
- president (vice president)
- 4 years term
- have power to veto proposal law
- commander-in-chief of the military

Legislative:
Rome
- 300 senators (aristocrats)
- members for life
- 193 assembly
- members for life
USA
- 100 senators (2 from each state)
- 6 years term
- 435 House of Representatives
- 2 years term
- congress

Judicial:
Rome
- praetors
- chosen by Centuriate Assembly
- 1 year term
USA
- supreme court (9 members)
- lifetime term
- appointed by present
- confirmed by senators

Legal code:
Rome - Twelve Table
USA: Bill of Right

Legion - 5000 soldiers (not pay)
- heavy infantry
- recruited exclusively from Roman citizens
80 groups → century
smaller phalanx

The Punic War (264-146 BC)
3 times Rome vs. Carthage
The first war: naval war
Control Sicily island
Rome won
The second war (218-201 BC)
Hannibal (29) attacked Rome from North
Lay siege to much of peninsula for 15 years
The third war (149-146 BC)
Remove threat of Carthage
Burnt Carthage for 17 days
50,000 rest people → slaves
Territories annexed Roman province of Africa