The Roman Monarchy It begins with the government of Rómulo in the year 753 BC. and ends in the year 509 BC, with the expulsion of the king Tarquin the Proud .
1. Legendary Character:Founding of Rome
Rome was founded in Lazio, on the banks of the Tiber River and close to the sea, on April 21, 753 BC.
According to legend, the Romans descended from the Trojan hero Aeneas . His son Ascanius founded the kingdom of Alba. One of his descendants was Númitor from whom his brother Amulius snatched the throne.
Rhea Silvia, daughter of Numitor, was consecrated to the cult of Vesta and forced into celibacy. The god Mars fell in love with Rhea Silvia, from whose union the twins Romulus and Remus were born. . These were thrown into the Tiber River by order of the usurper Amullo, but the cradle anchored at the foot of the Palatine. There they were suckled by a she-wolf and later picked up by the shepherd Faústulo.
Growing up, Romulus and Remus discovered their noble origins and punished Amulius. They immediately reinstated their grandfather Númitor on the throne of Alba. Then they went to the Palatine, at the head of some adventurers and founded Rome.
2. Political organization
2.1 The kings and the Roman monarchy
During the monarchy, Rome was ruled by seven kings, belonging to two dynasties:the Latin and the Etruscan.
They belong to the Latin Dynasty, Romulus, Numa Pompilio, Tulio Hostilio and Anco Marcio .
They belong to the Etruscan Dynasty, Tarquin the Ancient, Servius Tullius and Tarquin the Proud
a. Romulus
Romulus was the monarch who founded Rome . He implanted the monarchical system of government. To populate his kingdom, he merged the Latin tribes and juniper . After a short reign, he mysteriously disappeared. Legend has it that his father Mars took him to heaven. At his death he was worshiped under the name of Quirino.
b. Numa Pompilius
This king organized the Roman cult, created the priestly schools and ordered the construction of the temple of Janus , which was open in wartime and closed in peacetime.
c. Tulio Hostillo
He was a warrior king. He organized an unbeatable army, with which he destroyed the kingdom of Alba and turned Rome into the first power of Latium.
d. Anco Marcio
Known as the Merchant King , he was a peaceful ruler who made Rome a center of commercial exchange. He ordered the construction of the port of Ostia at the mouth of the Tiber River to encourage trade.
e. Tarquin the Ancient
This king consecrated a temple to Jupiter, at the top of the Capitol. He had the Forum, the Cloaca Maxima, and the Circus Maximus built for the popular games. He introduced Etruscan art and religion in Rome.
f. Tullius Servius
He ordered the construction of a wall that would protect the city. As a social reformer he organized the people into seven social classes, according to his fortune for the payment of taxes.
g. Tarquin the Superb
This king was the murderer of his father-in-law Servius Tullius. He was a tyrant devoted to worldly pleasures for which reason he earned the dislike of the people. He raped Lucrecia, wife of a prominent citizen, an act that led to a popular assembly, in which he was removed from command. As a consequence of what happened and with the approval of the army, the form of government was changed to the republican system.
2.2 Political organization of the Roman monarchy
The government of the monarchical period had as authority the King, the Popular Assembly and the Senate.
a. The King
He was the highest authority, with absolute power. He was at the same time high priest, judge and military leader. The king elected by the Popular Assembly proposed by the Senate.
b. The popular assembly
It was made up of free citizens of military age. This Assembly was summoned by the king, at the foot of the Capitol, where they approved or rejected the laws, by unanimous acclamation.
c. senano
It was made up of 300 elderly patricians, fathers of families. His function was to advise the king and present the candidates for succession to the royal throne. The position of senator was for life.
3. Social organization of the Roman monarchy
3.1 The family
The family was the basis of social organization.
It was made up of the father, the mother and the children.
The father he was the highest authority of the home, chief, judge and family priest. He had the right to the life or death of his wife and his children, being able to sell them on certain occasions as slaves.
The mother she, she dedicated herself exclusively to the chores of the yogas. Roman women had more freedom than Greek women, as they accompanied their husbands to major ceremonies and public events.
The children they had no freedom even if they were married. This dependency is called parental authority. Couples could adopt a child when they had no children.
3.2 The social classes of the Roman monarchy
In the Roman monarchy the following social classes existed:the patricians, the plebeians, the clients and the slaves.
a. The patricians or populus
They were the ones who formed the aristocratic class and constituted the true people, with full citizen rights. They believed themselves to be descendants of the founders of Rome.
b. The commoners
They made up the largest social class, made up of citizens of diverse origins, such as foreigners, freedmen, vagabonds and inhabitants of the dominated cities.
Initially they increased their political, social, military and religious rights. Later gradually they were gaining the right to Roman citizenship. They were engaged in agriculture, commerce, industry and paid taxes to the State.
c. The clients
They were free men but of poor condition. They were under the protection of the father of the family who gave them housing and land for cultivation.
d. The slaves
This class was made up of prisoners of war and men bought in markets. They were considered as animals or things, without the right even to life. They worked on construction sites, in agriculture, and as domestic servants.
4. Economic organization of the Roman monarchy:The ager publicus
4.1 Agriculture
The Roman citizen owned land to be able to cultivate. The lands formed the basis of his economy. They grew wheat, grapes, figs, and olive trees.
4.2 Livestock
In the plains and mountains they developed abundant natural pasture, which made possible the development of cattle, sheep, pig and goat farming.
4.3 Trade
It was the activity directed by the rich, who traded with neighboring towns such as cereals, metals, slaves, ceramics, weapons and jewelry.
4.4 The age publicus
They were the lands taken from the defeated enemies. These lands were preferably distributed among the patricians , who thus increased their properties, giving rise to the formation of large estates (immense extensions of land), in the hands of one family.