in an uprising led by Tarquin II, the grandson of Tarquin I. Tarquin II was known to be the last king of Rome. He refused the advice of the committee. It wasn't until Tarquin's son, Sextus, raped a noblewoman and the refusal of Tarquin II to pursue justice that the aristocrats decided to overthrow the king. The comitia centuriata became the Senate, thus starting the rule of the republic. (Haywood p. 198)
             Rome's economy flourished under republican rule and became even stronger as the Roman civilization spread throughout Europe and parts of Asia and Africa. The first people of Rome were sheep and goat herders. (Woods, p. 81) Eventually, the Roman people settled down and started planting crops, which led to the agricultural Rome. The majority of the Roman people were farmers, who were the backbone of the Roman civilization. A typical farm would be worked be worked by many slaves who were normally led a vilicus, or a farm manager. This farm manager might even be a slave himself, but he also the most knowledgeable in farming and how to c
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