Changes

Before long the plebes began to fight for more rights.  They refused to serve in the army, however, and the Senate appeased plebians by granting them the right to elect representatives, or "tribunes".  The election of these tribunes occurred at a gathering of plebes called the Assembly of Tribes, which passed resolutions that the tribunes could present for ratification by the Senate.  The Tribal Assembly could also veto some laws.  The patrician monopoly on important positions was further weakened when intermarriage between plebes and patricians was legalized for the first time in 445 B.C.  The Republic received a setback when Rome was sacked by Gaul (modern France) in 390 B.C.  Afterward, beginning in 376 B.C. plebes could serve in the consuls, and by 287 B.C. patricians could participate in the Assembly of Tribes.  Class differences began to disappear and Roman society became more democratic.

Before long the plebes began to fight for more rights.  They refused to serve in the army, however, and the Senate appeased plebians by granting them the right to elect representatives, or "tribunes".  The election of these tribunes occurred at a gathering of plebes called the Assembly of Tribes, which passed resolutions that the tribunes could present for ratification by the Senate.  The Tribal Assembly could also veto some laws.  The patrician monopoly on important positions was further weakened when intermarriage between plebes and patricians was legalized for the first time in 445 B.C.  The Republic received a setback when Rome was sacked by Gaul (modern France) in 390 B.C.  Afterward, beginning in 376 B.C. plebes could serve in the consuls, and by 287 B.C. patricians could participate in the Assembly of Tribes.  Class differences began to disappear and Roman society became more democratic.

'''Two ingredients made Rome a great empire:  Roman law and Roman legions.'''  Your instructor emphasizes a third ingredient:  Latin, the Roman language, was a very powerful, effective means of communicating.  Concepts that take sentences to describe in English can be expressed in just a few words in Latin, such as "caveat emptor" (meaning "the burden of examining a product or service is on the buyer before he pays his money, so that he gets as much in value as he paid" or, more literally, "let the buyer beware").

'''Two ingredients made Rome a great empire:  Roman law and Roman legions.'''  Your instructor emphasizes a third ingredient:  Latin, the Roman language, was a very powerful, effective means of communicating.  It language enabled powerful concepts to be expressed succinctly, and often Latin phrases are used today in the legal system, science, and elsewhere.  Concepts that require sentences to be described in English can be expressed in just a few words in Latin, such as "caveat emptor" (meaning "the burden of examining a product or service is on the buyer before he pays his money, so that he gets as much in value as he paid" or, more literally, "let the buyer beware").

Roman Law developed in a rational and flexible manner, though obviously it failed to provide justice during the trial of Jesus, who was not a Roman citizen.  Roman Law began with a code of laws inscribed in the Twelve Tables around 450 B.C.  "Twelve" is an easy number to remember:  it's the same number of ancient tribes in Israel, though there is no obvious connection.

Roman Law developed in a rational and flexible manner, though obviously it failed to provide justice during the trial of Jesus, who was not a Roman citizen.  Roman Law began with a code of laws inscribed in the Twelve Tables around 450 B.C.  "Twelve" is an easy number to remember:  it's the same number of ancient tribes in Israel, though there is no obvious connection.

In the Third Punic War, the Romans destroyed Carthage (146 B.C.), killing its inhabitants or taking them as slaves.  They the vicious Romans spread salt over all the Cathaginian farms to make it impossible to grow crops.  The Romans then went into Macedonia and Greece to defeat the region as revenge for having helped Hannibal.  By the end, Rome controlled all the land around the Mediterranean Sea, which was the entire western civilized world.  The Roman senator Cato the Elder encouraged Rome's terrible revenge by ending every speech with the conclusion, ''Carthago delenda est'': "Carthage must be destroyed."  The Roman soldiers returned home with their winnings, and with Greek knowledge.  Rome itself became Hellenistic, fascinated by the culture of the Greeks, including their architecture, their language, and their system of justice.  The Roman empire helped spread Greek knowledge further than the Greeks themselves could.

In the Third Punic War, the Romans destroyed Carthage (146 B.C.), killing its inhabitants or taking them as slaves.  They the vicious Romans spread salt over all the Cathaginian farms to make it impossible to grow crops.  The Romans then went into Macedonia and Greece to defeat the region as revenge for having helped Hannibal.  By the end, Rome controlled all the land around the Mediterranean Sea, which was the entire western civilized world.  The Roman senator Cato the Elder encouraged Rome's terrible revenge by ending every speech with the conclusion, ''Carthago delenda est'': "Carthage must be destroyed."  The Roman soldiers returned home with their winnings, and with Greek knowledge.  Rome itself became Hellenistic, fascinated by the culture of the Greeks, including their architecture, their language, and their system of justice.  The Roman empire helped spread Greek knowledge further than the Greeks themselves could.

===Leading up to an Empire===

===Leading up to an Empire===

Roman culture flourished under Julius Caesar and the struggle afterward.  Most notably, Marcus Cicero (106-43 B.C.) became the leading writer, orator and statesman.  His works are read to this day in Latin courses, as he established a high standard for Latin prose.  But there was no freedom of speech in ancient Rome, and when Cicero's work named ''The Philippics'' criticized Mark Antony in 43 B.C., Antony responded by putting Cicero to death.

Roman culture flourished under Julius Caesar and the struggle afterward.  Most notably, Marcus Cicero (106-43 B.C.) became the leading writer, orator and statesman.  His works are read to this day in Latin courses, as he established a high standard for Latin prose.  But there was no freedom of speech in ancient Rome, and when Cicero's work named ''The Philippics'' criticized Mark Antony in 43 B.C., Antony responded by putting Cicero to death.

===Birth of the Roman Empire===

===Birth of the Roman Empire===