Chapter !4 sections 1-3

Chapter 14 Section 1

            At the head of the roman republic there were two consuls, they were chosen each year. These consuls were administrators and military leaders.  They had the power to veto or to say no of acts of others. They both had to agree before any laws were passed.

There was then a Senate, it was made of three hundred people called senators. They were chosen for life and they handled daily problems in the government. They advised the consuls and the discussed ways to deal with other countries, proposed laws, and approved public contracts for building roads and temples

Judges, assemblies, and tribunes protected the rights of the plebeians. All roman citizens belonged to assemblies. Which could declare war or agree to peace terms.

Until 450 B.C. roman laws were not written down they were carved into bronze tablets. The laws both applied to plebeians and patricians. The laws became future Roman laws.

In about 250 B.C no one could be sold into slavery and plebeians could hold public office.

Chapter 14 Section 2

After the Romans had a Republic they worked to protect it. The were afraid the Etruscans would take over. So, they crossed the Tiber River and conquered several Etruscan cities. To protect their bordered land they either conquered their neighbors or became alliances with them.

In 290 B.C. Rome was the leading power in Central Italy, they ruled the whole peninsula. Romans organized a strong army into legions. Each legion had 5,000 soldiers called legionaries and they were divided into groups of 60 to 120 soldiers. The legion had several advantages over the phalanx. They could move fast, and they only fought from one direction.

 Each legionary depended on his own fighting ability. Legionaries were well trained, they spent hours practicing, they went on a long march everyday, and before going to sleep they had to build complete fortified camps. Romans were mild rulers and as a result many enemies of Rome became loyal Rome allies.

Chapter 14 Section 3

In 260 B.C.  the Romans became in contact with  Carthage and they wanted Sicily’s granaries. They broke out into a twenty-three yearlong fight.  The Romans built a ship like the Carthaginians but added a corvus, a kind of movable bridge to the front of the ship. They could not out sail the Carthaginians but could out fight them. After losing many ships and soldiers the Romans won the first Punic War.

In 218 B.C the second Punic war began. At the time General Hannibal Barca led the Carthaginians and they attacked the Roman Army. After winning victory after victory they fought their way to the gates of Rome. When the Carthaginians got to Rome they didn’t have the heavy equipment needed to take down the city walls. When they weren’t able to take down Rome they roamed around the countryside of southern Italy for 15 years. They raided and burned down crops and town until the Romans attacked Carthage. Carthage agreed to Rome a huge sum of money and give up all their territories including Spain.

There was peace for about 50 years. Then, Carthage started showing signs of regaining power. To prevent this the Romans in 149 B.C, this was the third Punic War. The Romans burned Carthage and killed the Carthaginians or sold them into slavery.

In 146 people of the Greek City State of Corinth and some allies refused to obey Roman order.  The Romans attacked Corinth and burned it to the ground. Rome became the leading power of the Mediterranean world.