HISTORY 1M03 Lecture Notes - Polis, Praetor, Plebs
12 Apr 2014
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Document Summary
Archaic period (c. 750-480): formation of city-states of central italy. City-state: designates scale not kind of political organization. Beginnings urbanism; from c. 700: differentiation in housing in towns. State-formation: from c. 600 public temples; also city fortifications. Italian city-states: not greek citizen-states but aristocracies or monarchies. Rival city-states but broader regional identities: etruscans, latins. Forum romanum by c. 600: temple of jupiter optimus maximus on capitoline. Monarchy: rex: 625: regia (together with temple of vesta & domus publica, 600: curia hostilia for king"s aristocratic council, 500: monarchy replaced by aristocratic republic. Republican magistrates: 2 consuls, praetor (from 242: 2 praetors), 4 aediles, quaestors. Old aristocratic council becomes senate of 300 former magistrates (c4th & c3rd: growing power) Popular assemblies: elected (aristocratic) magistrates, issued decrees & laws, sat as juries- but no powers to initiate or amend proposals. Originally office-holding and major priesthoods limited to a few patrician lineages, with plebeians (plebs) excluded.
