9781422285862

This 1870 map of the Roman Empire shows it “in its greatest extent.”

would adopt the Greek tongue. In 330 ce , Emperor Constantine relocated the capital of the empire from Rome to the city of Byzantium (at the site of Istanbul in present-day Turkey) in the East. He renamed the city Constantinople, and the move signaled a shift of power that would ultimately weaken the West. With the military no longer united, the West was susceptible to foreign invasion. In 476 ce the Germanic soldier Odoacer conquered the empire and became the first king of Italy. This transition marked the unofficial end of the Western Roman Empire, though the Byzantine Empire continued on for another thousand years. GOVERNING THE ROMAN REPUBLIC The government of the Roman Republic was divided into three branches: the consuls, the Senate, and the Assembly. The consuls were two high-powered officials who ran the government in one-year terms. The Senate was made up of aristocrats appointed by the consuls to help direct the affairs of the republic. The Assembly was composed of citizens elected by the consuls. They voted on laws and served as the voice of the people.

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CHAPTER ONE: HISTORY, RELIGION, AND TRADITION