Rome While all this is going on in the Greek-dominated Hellenistic world, the Romans* are busy

Rome While all this is going on in the Greek-dominated Hellenistic world, the Romans* are busy

getting rid of the Etruscans* (they finish this job by 295 BCE). Nothing much is going on in Greece* where the states keep fighting each other. The Carthaginians* are getting to be the big power in the western Mediterranean. In the Eastern end, Rome* is beginning to be where the action is. Keep in mind that there is Greek theatre all over, especially in southern Italy* and Sicily*. Since we have good records from the Romans* we know tons of things about how they got started and kept on going. Plutarch* and Livy* wrote all about the rise of Rome. We don't need to go into too much here, but there are a couple of mileposts that will help us understand this new power rising in Italy.

The forum* is pretty much the center of their world. It literally means "outside the door" but as the tribe grows into a nation it comes to mean both "market place" and "Meeting place". This pretty much tells us who these people are, they're a bunch of businessmen, entrepreneurs and administrators of conglomerates. It is always extend the trade, consolidate the markets and keep the peace so business can boom. But first they have to get some peace and some organization.

They've gone to school with the Etruscans* and with the Greeks (remember they sent some senators to study Solon's* laws?). So this Latin tribe starts out with a small patch of land just southwest of Rome*, ruled by a king. Somewhere around 509 BCE they get rid of the king business and start a republic This is something like the Spartans have (there was a rumor that the Romans were really Spartans but that sounds fishy). Anyway, they have a council of elders (senatus) made up of the nobility (patricians*) picked by the king. It doesn't have much power at this stage but it gets to pick the next ruler when the old one dies. There is a tribal They've gone to school with the Etruscans* and with the Greeks (remember they sent some senators to study Solon's* laws?). So this Latin tribe starts out with a small patch of land just southwest of Rome*, ruled by a king. Somewhere around 509 BCE they get rid of the king business and start a republic This is something like the Spartans have (there was a rumor that the Romans were really Spartans but that sounds fishy). Anyway, they have a council of elders (senatus) made up of the nobility (patricians*) picked by the king. It doesn't have much power at this stage but it gets to pick the next ruler when the old one dies. There is a tribal

About 471 BCE things take a turn for the one-step-better in running things. They give a little more power to the people and let them elect a tribune* (now here's a word that's confusing because it refers both to a military commander and, as in this case, to someone whose job it is to protect the plebes* against the powers that be). And, one tribune leads to another. Well, once there's the smell of liberty and freedom in the air, there's no stopping the Roman citizens.

Now there is a popular army, a citizen assembly and a senate and a growing body of laws. But, what with fighting the Gauls, and then beating up on the Greeks* (275 BCE) in Magna Graecia* (you remember, that southern part of Italy and most of Sicily*) and finally busting up the Carthaginians*, it takes a while to get the system up and running. By the end of the Macedonian Wars* (214-148 BCE) they'are pretty much ready to start becoming a world power.

How They Got To Be Romans