The Rise of the Roman Republic
In 616 B.C.E the Estruscans had all the power and ruled in
Rome. This included 2 classes in Rome; upper class called patricians and lower class called plebeians..
In 509 B.C.E, the Romans overthrew Tarquin (Etruscan King) and set up a republic. This new form of government, the people choose their rulers but not everyone had an equal say; patricians (oldest/rich families) were the only one who was allowed to hold public office and perform certain religious rituals while plebeians (poor citizens) paid taxes and served in the army, could not marry patricians or hold office, and could be sold into slavery if they failed to pay their dues.
In 494 B.C.E, the commoners of Rome (plebeians) was dissatified with te consuls and patricians and abandoned the city of Rome by setting up a camp on the Sacred Mount. The consuls and patricians were scared that the city could be vulnerable to attack by foreign forces, so they offered conditions for reconciliation to the plebeians. This succession was called "secessio plebis" and was recorded as the first general strike in history; which was effective to the commoners that they were given their own magistrate called "the plebeian tribunes."
In 451 B.C.E, the Romans created The Laws of the Twelve Tables. This was the earliest attempt by the Romans; which consisted a commission of ten men (Decemviri) was appointed (c. 455 B.C.) to draw up a code of law binding on both patrician and plebeian and which consuls would have to enforce.
In 287 B.C.E., economic condition for the plebeian became poor and they demanded relief from the government (senators), they refused and plebeians succeeded again to Janiculum hill. To end the secession,
a dictator was appointed and passed the "Hortensian
Law", which ended the requirement that the patrician senators must
agree before any bill could be considered by the Plebeian Council.
You will have to summarized your own choice of the timeline that you felt was the best. Good luck with your assignment.
