The Roman Gazette
The Early Republic of Rome
Etruscan King Comes to Power
The last king of Rome was Tarquin the Proud. A harsh tyrant, he was driven from power in 509 B.C. The Romans declared they would never again be ruled by a king. Instead, they established a republic, from the Latin phrase res publica, which means "public affairs". A republic is a form of government in which power rests with the citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders. In Rome, citizenship with voting rights was granted only to free-born male citizens.
Life in the Early Republic
Government and the Roman Army
The Romans placed great value on their military, all citizens who owned land were required to serve in the army. Roman soldiers were organized into large military units called legions, each legion is made up of 5,000 heavily armed foot soldiers (infantry). A group of soldiers on horseback (cavalry) supported each legion.