Roman Republic
Italy, 509–27 BCE.
After expelling their last king, the Romans governed themselves through elected magistrates and the Senate. The republic conquered the Mediterranean, then collapsed in civil wars.
Seat of power: Rome
Rulers
Julius Caesar
Dictator, 49–44 BCE
Crossed the Rubicon with his army in 49 BCE and won the civil war. Named dictator for life, he reformed the calendar and enlarged the Senate, but senators who feared a monarchy murdered him on the Ides of March, 44 BCE.
Portrait of Julius Caesar: Ángel M. Felicísimo from Mérida, España, Public domain, file
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Culture
- The Twelve Tables, around 450 BCE, write down Roman law for the first time.
- The Appian Way, begun in 312 BCE, is the first great Roman road.
- Cicero's speeches and letters set the standard for Latin prose.
Picture
The ruins of the Roman Forum, the political heart of the republic.
Image: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me..., CC BY-SA 3.0, file
