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The Western Experience, 8/e

Mortimer Chambers, University of California - Los Angeles
Barbara Hanawalt, Ohio State University
Theodore Rabb, Princeton University
Isser Woloch, Columbia University
Raymond Grew, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

The Roman Republic

Problems for Analysis

I. The Unification of Italy


1		Polybius called the Roman constitution a perfect blend of regal, aristocratic, and democratic elements. Do you agree? Explain.



2		How were the Romans able to hold their growing territories together during the early period of the Roman Republic?



3		What was the nature of Roman society, religion, and culture? What connections might be drawn between the three?

II. The Age of Mediterranean Conquest


4		Trace the main steps by which Rome became an imperial power. What role did Rome's system of alliances and its method of provincial administration play in this?

III. The Roman Revolution


5		What were the fundamental strains and changes that undermined the foundations of the Roman Republic? How is this reflected in the developments concerning Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus?



6		What role did powerful generals play in the decline of the Republic? Use examples.



7		How did the Senate respond to threats? Did it simply give up, respond in kind, or pursue policies that further undermined its own authority?

IV. The End of the Roman Republic


8		How was Octavian able to acquire supreme power over his competitors?



9		In what ways did Octavian's victory mark the end of the Roman Republic and the Hellenistic Age?

V. The Founding of the Roman Empire


10		What policies did Augustus follow to secure his own power and establish the structure of the Roman Empire?

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