The‌‌Roman‌‌Republic‌ 

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How‌‌is‌‌a‌‌republic‌‌different‌‌from‌‌a‌‌monarchy?‌  ‌
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The‌‌Roman‌‌Republic‌  ‌
After‌‌Rome‌‌overthrew‌‌the‌‌Etruscans,‌‌they‌‌instituted‌‌a‌‌form‌‌of‌‌  
government‌‌known‌‌as‌‌a‌‌republic.‌‌“Republic”‌‌comes‌‌from‌‌the‌‌  
Latin‌‌words‌‌“res”‌‌and‌‌“publica”‌‌and‌‌literally‌‌means‌‌“thing‌‌of‌‌the‌‌  
people.”‌‌A‌‌republic‌‌is‌‌a‌‌type‌‌of‌‌government‌‌in‌‌which‌‌the‌‌  
citizens‌‌vote‌‌for‌‌their‌‌leaders.‌‌(The‌‌United‌‌States‌‌of‌‌America‌‌is‌‌  
a‌‌republic.)‌‌From‌‌its‌‌Latin‌‌roots,‌‌a‌‌republic‌‌belongs‌‌to‌‌its‌‌ 
people,‌‌not‌‌to‌‌a‌‌king‌‌or‌‌queen.‌  ‌
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The‌‌Roman‌‌Republic‌‌operated‌‌very‌‌differently‌‌than‌‌the‌‌republic‌‌  
that‌‌is‌‌in‌‌place‌‌in‌‌the‌‌United‌‌States‌‌of‌‌America.‌‌The‌‌citizens‌‌of‌‌  
Rome‌‌were‌‌divided‌‌into‌‌two‌‌groups.‌‌The‌p ‌ atricians‌‌‌were‌‌  
wealthy‌‌landowners.‌‌Patricians‌‌could‌‌hold‌‌government‌‌offices.‌‌  
The‌‌second‌‌group‌‌was‌‌made‌‌up‌‌of‌‌shopkeepers,‌‌artisans,‌‌and‌‌  
small‌‌farmers.‌‌They‌‌were‌‌the‌p ‌ lebeians‌.‌‌In‌‌other‌‌words,‌‌all‌‌of‌‌  
the‌‌Roman‌‌citizens‌‌who‌‌were‌‌not‌‌patricians‌‌were‌‌plebeians.‌‌  
The‌‌great‌‌majority‌‌of‌‌Romans‌‌were‌‌plebeians.‌‌Of‌‌course,‌‌there‌‌  
were‌‌other‌‌people‌‌living‌‌in‌‌ancient‌‌Rome‌‌who‌‌were‌‌neither‌‌  
patricians‌‌nor‌‌plebeians.‌‌Those‌‌people‌‌included‌‌slaves‌‌and‌‌  
foreigners.‌‌Neither‌‌slaves‌‌nor‌‌foreigners‌‌were‌‌considered‌‌to‌‌be‌‌  
Roman‌‌citizens.‌‌    ‌
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All‌‌patrician‌‌and‌‌plebeian‌‌men‌‌were‌‌citizens‌‌and‌‌had‌‌the‌‌right‌‌  
to‌‌vote.‌‌All‌‌citizens‌‌had‌‌to‌‌pay‌‌taxes‌‌and‌‌join‌‌the‌‌army,‌‌but‌‌  
only‌‌patricians‌‌could‌‌be‌‌in‌‌government.‌  ‌
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