How the Roman Republic was governed: consuls, Senate and assemblies

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Checks on power in the Republic

   Check	How it worked
   Two consuls	neither consul ruled alone, and each could veto the other
   One-year terms	consuls served for a single year
   Tribunes of the plebs	ten tribunes from 457 BCE; they could veto the actions of the consuls and the Senate
   Patricians and plebeians	at first only patricians, the old leading families, could hold office; over time every office opened to plebeians, the common people

2. 1.

   How many tribunes of the plebs were there from 457 BCE, Ren asks?

   • Two
   • One
   • 300
   • Ten
3. 2.

   The cell marked ? is blank. Tala's chart has a blank: how long did consuls serve?

   • For life
   • Ten years
   • A single year
   • Until they chose to stop

4. Checks on power in the Republic

   Check	How it worked
   Two consuls	neither consul ruled alone, and each could veto the other
   One-year terms	consuls served for a single year
   Tribunes of the plebs	ten tribunes from 457 BCE; they could veto the actions of the consuls and the Senate
   Patricians and plebeians	at first only patricians, the old leading families, could hold office; over time every office opened to plebeians, the common people

5. 3.

   Why have two consuls instead of one, Ari asks?

   • Because Rome had two cities
   • So one could be king
   • So neither could rule alone
   • So they could rule for life
6. 4.

   How did tribunes check the power of consuls and the Senate, Esme asks?

   • They led the army
   • They could veto their actions
   • They chose the consuls for life
   • They agreed to each action
7. 5.

   Who were the patricians, Jun asks?

   • The common people
   • Rome's old leading families
   • Visitors from Greece
   • The ten tribunes
8. 6.

   Who were the plebeians, Kira asks?

   • The Senate
   • The two consuls
   • The common people
   • The old leading families
9. 7.

   What changed over time for plebeians, Luz asks?

   • They could never vote
   • Every office opened to them
   • They became patricians
   • They lost their offices
10. 8.

    Which claim does the chart support best, Milo asks?

    • Rome spread power so no one ruled alone
    • Rome had no checks on power
    • The tribunes ruled as kings
    • One consul ruled Rome alone
11. 9.

    Noah's friend says the Republic gave plebeians every office from the start. What is the best reply?

    • Agree: plebeians were the patricians
    • Agree: it was equal for them from the start
    • Disagree: plebeians held no office
    • Disagree: they gained offices over time
12. 10.

    Pia's friend says a veto means saying yes. What is the best reply?

    • Agree: veto means yes
    • Disagree: veto means a king
    • Disagree: a veto says no
    • Agree: veto means vote