AH15: The Founding of Rome & Early Kings
The legends of Rome's founding, the seven kings, and the overthrow of the monarchy that established the Republic.
The Founding of Rome & Early Kings
The legends of Rome's founding, the seven kings, and the overthrow of the monarchy that established the Republic.
Key Fact: Roman legend traced Rome's origins to Aeneas (Trojan refugee) and the founding by Romulus and Remus (753 BC)
Key Fact: The seven kings ruled Rome from its founding until the overthrow of Tarquin the Proud (Superbus) in 509 BC
Key Fact: The last king, Tarquin Superbus, was a tyrant whose son Sextus raped Lucretia, triggering the rebellion led by Brutus
Key Fact: The Republic (res publica = 'public thing') replaced the monarchy: power was held by elected magistrates and the Senate
Key Fact: Roman society was divided between Patricians (aristocratic families) and Plebeians (common citizens); the plebeians struggled for political rights
Key Fact: The early Republic established key offices: two consuls (chief magistrates with one-year terms), the Senate (advisory council of patricians)
📋 Key Vocabulary and Concepts
For The Founding of Rome & Early Kings, you must know:
- Res publica: 'The public thing' — the Roman Republic where power was held by the people through elected magistrates rather than a king
- Patricians: The aristocratic families who monopolised political power and religious offices in early Rome
- Plebeians: The common citizens of Rome who were excluded from political office and religious positions in the early Republic
- Consul: One of two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, elected annually with imperium (power of command)
- Lucretia: The virtuous Roman noblewoman whose rape by Sextus Tarquin triggered the rebellion that overthrew the monarchy
❓ Practice Questions
Q: How did the legend of Romulus and Remus explain Rome's founding?
Q: Why was Tarquin Superbus overthrown?
Q: What was the difference between Patricians and Plebeians?
Q: How was the Republic organised after the monarchy fell?
Q: What was the significance of the Lucretia story?
✅ Answers
- Romulus and Remus were twin sons of the god Mars and the priestess Rhea Silvia. Abandoned as infants, they were suckled by a she-wolf and raised by a shepherd. They founded a city but quarrelled over its location; Romulus killed Remus and became Rome's first king (753 BC).
- Tarquin was a tyrant who ruled without the Senate's consent and employed violence and intimidation. The catalyst was his son Sextus' rape of Lucretia, a virtuous noblewoman who then killed herself. Her relative Brutus led a revolt that expelled the Tarquin family and abolished the monarchy (509 BC).
- Patricians were aristocratic families who claimed descent from the original senators appointed by Romulus. They monopolised all political power, religious offices and law. Plebeians were all other citizens — farmers, artisans, merchants — who had no political rights initially and were excluded from the Senate and consulship.
- Two consuls replaced the king, elected annually with equal power (imperium). The Senate (council of patrician elders) advised the consuls and controlled finances and foreign policy. The centuriate assembly (comitia centuriata) elected consuls and voted on laws, but was dominated by the wealthy.
- Lucretia's rape and suicide symbolised the corruption of absolute monarchy and the virtue of the Roman people. The story justified the Republic's founding as a response to tyranny, establishing a powerful Roman ideal: that no individual should hold unchecked power and that liberty was worth fighting for.
🎯 Exam Tips
- 753 BC = legendary founding; 509 BC = Republic established
- Lucretia = moral justification for overthrowing tyranny
- Two consuls replaced the king — shared power prevented tyranny
- Patrician vs Plebeian conflict = central theme of early Republic
📝 Exam Technique
GCSE Ancient History Exam Tips — The Founding of Rome & Early Kings:
1. For The Founding of Rome & Early Kings, include specific factual detail: dates, names, events and statistics where relevant
2. For source questions, analyse provenance (who, when, why, audience) before using the content
3. In evaluation questions, discuss multiple factors and weigh their relative significance
4. Always link back to the question focus — don't just narrate what happened with The Founding of Rome & Early Kings
5. Use phrases like 'the most significant factor was... because...' to show analytical judgement
1. For The Founding of Rome & Early Kings, include specific factual detail: dates, names, events and statistics where relevant
2. For source questions, analyse provenance (who, when, why, audience) before using the content
3. In evaluation questions, discuss multiple factors and weigh their relative significance
4. Always link back to the question focus — don't just narrate what happened with The Founding of Rome & Early Kings
5. Use phrases like 'the most significant factor was... because...' to show analytical judgement
⚠️ Common Errors
✗ Romulus and Remus are historical figures ✓ Romulus and Remus are legendary figures; there is no archaeological evidence for their existence. The founding date of 753 BC was calculated retroactively by Roman historians. The stories served to explain Roman identity, not to record actual events
✗ The Republic was democratic from the start ✓ The early Republic was controlled by the patrician aristocracy. Plebeians had no political power and were excluded from office. It took over 200 years of struggle (the Conflict of the Orders) for plebeians to gain political equality
✗ The seven kings were all tyrants ✓ Roman tradition held that the early kings (especially Numa Pompilius and Servius Tullius) were good rulers who established important institutions. Only the last king, Tarquin Superbus, was portrayed as a tyrant
✍️ Model Answer
Full-Mark Response
Describe the founding legends of Rome and explain why the monarchy was overthrown. [6 marks]
Rome's founding was explained through two legendary traditions. The Aeneas myth linked Rome to the Trojan hero who fled burning Troy and journeyed to Italy, connecting Roman identity to the Greek world. More directly, Romulus and Remus, twin sons of Mars, were abandoned, suckled by a she-wolf and raised by a shepherd. They founded a city but disputed its location; Romulus killed Remus and became Rome's first king in 753 BC. The seven kings ruled Rome until the reign of Tarquin Superbus (the Proud). Tarquin seized power illegally, ruled without Senate consent, and governed through fear and violence. The decisive catalyst was the rape of Lucretia by Tarquin's son Sextus. Lucretia, a virtuous noblewoman, revealed the crime to her family and then killed herself rather than live with the dishonour. Her relative Brutus seized the moment, rallying Romans against the Tarquins' tyranny and declaring that Rome would never again be ruled by a king. The Tarquin family was expelled in 509 BC and the Republic (res publica) was established, with two annually elected consuls replacing the king to prevent any individual from gaining absolute power. The Lucretia story provided a powerful moral foundation for the Republic: it linked the rejection of monarchy with Roman virtues of honour, self-sacrifice and liberty. This narrative shaped Roman political identity for centuries.
📊 AO Deep Dive
Assessment Objective Analysis
AO1 (Knowledge & Understanding): Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the founding of rome & early kings, including key events, individuals, and developments in the ancient world relevant to OCR J198.
AO2 (Explanation & Analysis): Explain and analyse historical events and periods related to the founding of rome & early kings, using historical concepts such as causation, consequence, change, continuity, similarity and difference.
AO3 (Source Analysis & Interpretations): Analyse, evaluate and use sources and interpretations related to the founding of rome & early kings, considering provenance, utility and the construction of historical arguments.
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🎬 Video Resources
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