The early Roman Republic was one of the greatest civilizations of all time. Roman government was so great that it was copied for centuries by other countries, including the United States. Rome was ruled by the Etruscans for hundreds of years. The Etruscans taught Rome to be civilized. They were taught the alphabet, "promoted trade, the development of metallurgy, and better agriculture in and around Rome." (Butler) The Romans gained their independence from the Etruscans in 509 BC and created their own government, a republic. One factor that made Rome so great was its geography; it is located in Italy, a peninsula located in the middle of the Mediterranean. Rome is located on the Tiber, which favored trade. Rome has two mountain ranges, the Alps and the Apennines, which helped protect the country. Once Rome declared its independence from the Etruscans, it created its own constitution. This constitution created a series of checks and balances. They formed a public government divided into three branches: the magistrate, the senate and the assemblies. Magistrates were elected officials in ancient Rome who took power and ran the day-to-day government. Magistrates had two limitations, the first being the principle of collegiality, which was the idea that no one person could ever have complete control. The second limit was that a person could only have one year on console. The Senates were the most important. They were composed of families and citizens influenced in Rome. They did not pass any laws, but simply offered their opinions to the people, opinions that everyone listened to. The only two things the Senate cared about were money and war. The assemblies were made up of all Roman citizens. Middle of paper...... heir general, because they are paid by the general, so their loyalty is theirs. The triumvirate of Pompey, Crassus and Julius Caesar begins to take power. Together they gathered patrons to the assembly and dominated politics. They each take control of parts of the Roman Empire. Caesar takes control of the north. The Senate and Pompey think Caesar is gaining too much power. A civil war then breaks out and Caesar and his army defeat Pompey and the Senate and become dictator for ten years. Julius Caesar is seated by 22 senators. A second civil war broke out in Rome in 31 BC and Julius Caesar's nephew, Caesar Augustus, became dictator for life. The old system of checks and balances no longer existed and the Roman Republic failed.Works CitedButler, C.. Np. Internet. November 13 2013.