With the overthrow of the Etruscans as the rulers of the Rome, the Latins created the first Republic, a system of government where leaders are voted into power by the people. The leaders of the Roman Republic were called Consuls, who also were the commanders of the army. There were always two Consuls, in order to ensure that no one person would have too much power. The Consuls also shared the responsibility of governing Rome with a Senate, made up mostly of the rich land owners of Rome, known as Patricians, but would sometime also include representitives from the common people, also call Plebeians. The Consuls would almost always be patricians, and elections for Consul would be held every year.
From the very beginning of the Roman Republic found itself in a constant state of war, and spent the next 200 years fighting various tribes, and other cities located around Italy. The army of the Roman Repulic was known for being experienced fighters, and through the defeat of these other cities, quickly came to control all of Italy. With such a large area to control, Rome came up with an idea to make sure that the other cities in their empire wouldn't try to rebel. This strategy, known as the Roman Confederation, gave citizenship to only some people, which came with priviliages such as being able to vote for leaders. The leaders of Rome also allowed the cites that they ruled freedom to themselves, as long as they paid taxes to Rome, and provided soldiers for the Roman army. This freedom, and the chance to gain extra privilages made people more likely to stay loyal to the Roman Republic. It was also during this time that Roman culture began to become more advanced. The 12 Tables was the first set of codified laws created to govern the Roman Republic, and also only applied to Roman Citizens. The 12 Tables would eventually be replaced by the Law of Nations, which cover laws for noth Roman citizens, and non-Roman citizens, and also included concepts that we use in our justice system today, such as "innocent until proven gulity" and the right for an accused person to defend themselves to a judge. As the Roman Republic grew in power, and started to develop a more complex culture, they became major players on the world stage, and would begin to come into conflict with other powerful nations. |