Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils examine the changing nature of the state that became the Roman Empire. They learn about its origins and kings, its period as a republic and its imperial history, ending with its division and decline. Throughout, pupils analyse how the idea of 'being a Roman' changed over time.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain what it meant to be Roman in the early years of the Roman Republic.

Key Notes

• The Roman senators overthrew the last King of Rome, creating the Roman Republic.
• An important part of early Roman identity was the role of the senate in representing the wishes of the people.
• The Punic Wars were fought between Rome and Carthage and made Rome the dominant force in the Mediterranean.
• In 146 BCE, the Roman Republic made Macedonia a province and brought the Greek city-states under its control.
• Not everyone in the Roman Republic was free (slavery was an important institution) or even a Roman citizen.

Vocabulary To Learn

• elect: to elect someone is to choose them by voting for them
• Punic Wars: the Punic Wars were a series of wars between Rome and Carthage
• citizen: a citizen is a member of a country or city and has the rights of a free person, such as the right to vote
• republic: a republic is a country where the leaders are chosen or elected by the people living in the country
• province: a Roman province was a place controlled by Rome that was outside of Italy

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Rome was always an Empire.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Roman kings Study Guide
• The division of the Roman Empire Study Guide
• The fall of the Western Roman Empire Study Guide
• The rise of the Emperors Study Guide
• What it meant to be a Roman Study Guide