3/31/14 west civ notes

      In the beginning ages of Rome their government consisted of a king and a council of elders called the senate. The elders helped the king make decisions, the king appointed specific people to be in his senate. Usually these people were patricians, men who already belonged to a powerful, leading family. When a king dies the senate would take all the power. Around 500 B.C. this monarchy like system was overthrew and the first Republican government was created, this was a mixed government that was basically a mix between a democracy and an oligarchy. Their were to major sides of the Republic, the patricians who were the rich aristocrats, and the plebeians who were not as wealthy and mad up the rest of the population. There was still a Senate in the Republic and it was usually still being made up of patricians, this gave the patricians more power and they were able to make all the decisions. However decisions were being made very slowly and the senate decided that they needed one dictator to have all the power and make laws for a maximum period of six months. This process worked great but it still gave no power to the plebeians who getting very angry because they thought they deserved power. So as years passed the plebeians grew wealthier and stronger and eventually in 250 B.C. the plebeians and the patricians had no real distinction between them and the plebeians were able to take part in the government along with the patricians. New rules were made so the plebeians could become part of the senate and even marry into patrician families. Around 450 B.C. the plebeians were complaining to the patricians about not having written laws. Normally the laws were passed down orally and interpreted by judges. But the plebeians demanded the Roman law would be set down in writing. So the laws were engraved on 12 slabs of wood or bronze and set in the middle of the Forum, a chief public square, for all to see. These slabs were known to be the "Twelve Tables" and served as the foundation for the elaborate system of Roman law that grew up later in centuries.