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Chapter 12, Section 1

The Rise of the Roman Republic

Define
1. Found - set up or start, Romulus founded Rome

2. Consent – agreement, Juno consented to stop attacking the Trojans

3. Forum – An open area in a city filled with public buildings, temples, and markets.

4. Republic – A government in which citizens have the right to vote and elect officials

5. Identify – Consider or treat as the same, The Romans identified their Gods with the
Greek Gods

6. Legion – The basic unit of the Roman army, 4,500 – 5,000 soldiers, most were foot
soldiers

7. Maniple – A part of a legion, 60-160 soldiers

Questions to consider....
8. What was the role of the Roman Forum?
The Roman forum was the center of Rome’s government, religion, and economy. When
Romans built new cities in later years, they usually built a forum at the center.

9. What was the basic unit of the Roman army?

The basic unit of the Roman army was the legion. Each legion had from 4,500 to 5,000
heavily armed soldiers. Most served as infantry or foot soldiers.

10. How did Italy's geography help Rome unite the peninsula?
Italy as a less rugged landscape than Greece. Soldiers could march from one place to
another more easily than in Greece. This made it easier for Rome to unite the peninsula.
Italy also has several rivers that ships can use for water and transportation routes.

11. What advantages did the Tiber River provide?

The Tiber River flows into the sea. The Tiber is relatively shallow, but small boats could
pass from the city out to sea. The river was too fast and dangerous for large boats so
seagoing ships could not attack Rome.

12. What powers did Roman kings have?

The kings were the head of the army, chief priest, and supreme judge. The Roman kings
helped the city grow. They built the first buildings in the forum and led the Romans in wars
against small neighboring villages. They ruled with the consent of the wealthy aristocrats.
Older male aristocrats formed a senate that advised the king on important matters.

13. Where did the Latin alphabet come from?

The Romans developed an alphabet for Latin based on the Etruscan alphabet.

14. How was a Roman legion different from a Greek phalanx?

A Roman legion was more flexible than a phalanx, able to move in separate groups on
rough terrain.

15. Were Romans open to foreign ideas? If yes, what sort of ideas?
Yes, they borrowed good ideas from all over – alphabet, gods, legends…..