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
   • 300
   • Ten
   • One
3. 2.

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

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

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 they could rule for life
   • So neither could rule alone
6. 4.

   Why limit consuls to one year, Bo asks?

   • Because a year is lucky
   • So no one held power too long
   • So the Senate could vanish
   • So consuls could rule forever
7. 5.

   Who were the patricians, Jun asks?

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

   Who were the plebeians, Kira asks?

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

   What changed over time for plebeians, Luz asks?

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

    Which claim does the chart support best, Milo asks?

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