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Y11 Ancient History – Catch-up Work

Tim SavilleLuca Love

Dan BrownToryn HughesDavid WrightOctavia HailesJames Taylor

Please complete the tasks on pages 4, 7 and 9. Page 8 will help with the work for pages 7 and 9.

Mr Woodcock

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Are you a pleb?

Why did Andrew Mitchell get in trouble for allegedly calling the police “plebs”?

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Patrician or Plebeian ?

How was the Roman Republic governed?

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The plebs was the general body of free, land-owning Roman citizens (as distinguished from slaves and the capite censi) in Ancient Rome. It was the non-aristocratic class of Rome and consisted of freed people, shopkeepers, crafts people, skilled or unskilled workers, and farmers.[1] Members of the plebs were also distinct from the higher order of the patricians. A member of the plebs was known as a plebeian ( /plɨˈbiːən/; Latin: plebeius). This term is used today to refer to one who is or appears to be of the middle or lower order; however, in Rome plebeians could become quite wealthy and influential.

The term patrician (Latin: patricius, Greek: πατρίκιος, patrikios) originally referred to a group of elite families in ancient Rome, including both their natural and adopted members. In the late Roman Empire, the class was broadened to include high council officials

Write down 5 key words each for “pleb” and “patrician” to define and distinguish between the two groups.

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Patrician or Plebeian ?With certain government jobs

came certain privileges.

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KEY RED ‘curule magistrates’ who had the right to sit on a sella curulis a folding ivory stool and wear the purple trimmed toga praetexta

* imperium = the highest political authority including the right to:1. command an army2. interpret the law3. pass the death sentence

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SENATESenatus populusque Romanus

“the Senate and People of Rome”

600 magistrates for life(minimum requirement was to be

a quaestor)

MAGISTRATES ASSEMBLIES

2 consuls

8 praetors

4 aediles

10 tribunes

2 censors

20 quaestors

Assembly of the Centuries

Assembly of the Plebeians

Play clip showing Republic government:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8TF51CPZ00&feature=relmfu (Search for YouTube: Ancient

Rome V - Politics of the Republic

Add notes to this sheet using the boxes on the following

slide and the video clip (blank sheet at the end of

the pack).

Think as you go – where does REAL POWER lie in the

Roman government?

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The Senate could give the role of governing a province to an elected

official whose time had come to an end.

Consuls were chief magistrates who presided over the

Senate and Assemblies.

Aediles supervised public places, water and grain supplies.

2 aediles were required to be

plebeians. The other 2 could come from

either the patricians or plebeians.

The Senate controlled the public finances and foreign affairs.

Senators also assigned military commands

and provinces.

Praetors served mainly as judges in

law courts.

Censors were elected every 5 years. They revised the list of

senators and conducted census of every citizen for tax

reasons.

Quaestors looked after the Roman finances.

Quaestors automatically became

eligible to stand for the Senate.

Consuls could suggest new laws.

Tribunes had to be plebeians because

their job was to protect the plebeians from unfair actions of

magistrates.

When the consuls were absent from

Rome, praetors took over their

administrative duties.

Tribunes could suggest new laws.

The Senate debated and passed laws that

they would then submit to the

Assemblies for final approval.

Tribunes could overrule the act of

any magistrate.

Consuls served as generals in military

campaigns and represented Rome in

foreign affairs.

Any Roman man who was a full citizen could become a member of

the Assemblies.

No debates were possible in the

Assemblies.

Assembly of the Centuries elected

consuls, praetors and censors and

declared war.

Assembly of the Plebeians elected

plebeian magistrates.

Decisions made by the Assembly of Plebeians

had the force of law binding on the whole

state of Rome.

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The Roman Republic

1. What things might give you an advantage in your career?

2. Where did most of the debating take place?3. Which part appears to be the permanent

governing body?4. Which job had the greatest social prestige?5. Which was the most powerful part of the

Republic’s government?

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SENATESenatus populusque Romanus

“the Senate and People of Rome”

600 magistrates for life(minimum requirement was to be a quaestor they were chosen from the wealthiest patrician families in

Rome by the censors)

MAGISTRATES ASSEMBLIES

2 consuls

8 praetors

4 aediles

10 tribunes

2 censors

20 quaestors

Assembly of the Centuries

Assembly of the Plebeians

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KEYRED

*

KEYRED

*

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This diagram shows the ladder of political advancement (cursus honorum) during the late Republic. The straight ladder shows the typical path of advancement (theoretically open to all freeborn male citizens), beginning with election to quaestor, the lowest office, and proceeding to consul, the highest (of course very few men made it that far; it was quite exceptional when a man like Cicero, who did not come from a noble family, was elected consul). Red text designates “curule magistrates,” who had the right to sit on a special ivory folding stool (sella curulis) as a symbol of their office; they also had the right to wear the purple-bordered toga (toga praetexta). Offices marked with an asterisk carried imperium, the highest political authority, which included the right to command an army, to interpret and carry out the law, and to pass sentences of death. Magistrates whose title began with “pro” were in charge of provinces; the Senate normally conferred these after the men had finished their term of office in Rome. The more important provinces, especially those requiring large military forces, were assigned to ex-consuls, while the less significant provinces were governed by ex-praetors. During the Empire, most of these offices remained in place, though their functions changed. Most significantly, imperium was now reserved for the emperor, and advancement in rank proceeded in orderly stages based on conditions laid down by the emperors rather than through competitive electioneering. Thus the cursus honorum changed from a ladder of power (with important social status attached) to a ladder of primarily social rank and status. The cursus honorum was, of course, reserved for men; during the entire period of Roman history, women were prohibited from holding political office, though in the Empire their roles as mothers, wives, and daughters of emperors gave a few women very high social status and even a kind of indirect rank. Even elite women who were not members of the imperial family sometimes claimed the rank of their fathers or husbands (e.g., as consulares feminae, “consular women”). Principles of Structure:These principles evolved under the impetus of the “conflict of orders,” a struggle between two social classes, the patricians and plebeians, that occurred primarily during the fifth and fourth centuries BCE.system of checks and balances

collegiality—at least two in each magistracy limited terms of political office (usually one-year term; eligible for election to higher office in 2-3 years. and for re-election to the same office in 10 years)

in theory was a participatory democracy, but in practice had oligarchic elements (primarily governed by an elite class) and representative elements (offices required popular election, and tribunes represented a plebeian constituency) crucial role played by Senate, which was composed solely of ex-magistrates, was the only permanent governing body and the only body where debate was possible. The Senate controlled all finances, foreign affairs, and state administration and had by far the greatest social prestige. Magistrates:2 *consuls—chief magistrates who convened and presided over the Senate and assemblies, initiated and administered legislation, served as generals in military campaigns, and represented Rome in foreign affairs. Consuls could appoint and/or serve as *dictator for up to 6 months in times of emergency when the constitution was suspended. When their term of office was completed, consuls usually governed a province as *proconsul.8 *praetors—served primarily as judges in law courts, but could convene the Senate and assemblies; they assumed administrative duties of consuls when these were absent from Rome. When their term of office was completed, praetors might govern a province as *propraetor.2 censors—elected every 5 years for terms of 1½ years; revised lists of senators and equestrians; conducted census of citizens and property assessments for tax purposes; granted state contracts.4 aediles—supervised public places, public games, and the grain supply in the city of Rome; 2 were required to be plebeians, and the other two (who had more status) could come from either order; the latter 2 were called curule aediles.10 tribunes—had to be plebeian, because the office was established to protect the plebeians from arbitrary actions of magistrates. Hence the primary power of tribunes was negative; they could veto the act of any magistrate and stop any official act of administration. They were by law sacrosanct, meaning that anyone who attacked them physically could be immediately and summarily killed; they could convene the Senate and assemblies and initiate legislation.20 quaestors—administered finances of state treasury and served in various capacities in the provinces; when elected quaestor, a man automatically became eligible for membership in the Senate, though censors had to appoint him to fill a vacancySenate:composed of 600 magistrates and ex-magistrates (minimum qualification was election as quaestor) who served for life unless expelled by the censors normally met in a building called the Curia located in the Roman Forum; click here for a drawing of the chamber in which the Senate met, or find out more about the building by visiting the Senate House in VRoma via the web gateway or the anonymous browser although technically an advisory body, in effect the Senate was the chief governmental body because it controlled public finances and foreign affairs, assigned military commands and provinces, and debated and passed decrees that would be submitted to the assemblies for final ratification the Republican government was symbolized by the letters SPQR (senatus populusque Romanus), meaning “the Senate and the Roman people” Assemblies:These were theoretically composed of all males who were full Roman citizens, though individuals had to attend in person in order to vote. No debate from the floor was possible, and votes were counted in groups, not individually (the vote of each group was determined by the vote of the majority of individuals in that group). For more information about voting, see Notes on Politics.Assembly of the Curiae (comitia curiata): oldest assembly; by the late Republic had mostly ceremonial and clan functions.Assembly of the Centuries (comitia centuriata): elected consuls, praetors, censors; declared war; served as court of appeal for citizens sentenced to death. The 193 centuries were determined by wealth, and the richest centuries were also the smallest, so individual votes in these counted more heavily (when a majority of the 193 votes was reached, voting was stopped, so some of the largest centuries rarely got to cast votes).Assembly of the Tribes (comitia tributa): elected all other magistrates; voted yes or no on laws; the 35 tribes were originally determined geographically and then passed on by birth. A subgroup of this assembly, the Concilium Plebis, was open only to plebeians. This plebeian assembly elected the magistrates open only to plebeians (tribunes and plebeian aediles). After 287 BCE, the measures passed by the Concilium Plebis (plebiscita) had the force of laws binding on the whole state.Sources