Why was the monarchy overthrown in 509 BC, and what kind of government replaced it?
The fall of the monarchy and the founding of the Republic: the tyranny of Tarquinius Superbus, the rape of Lucretia and the expulsion of the kings in 509 BC, the creation of the two annual consuls, and the new Republican constitution, studied through Livy.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History answer on the fall of the Roman monarchy and the founding of the Republic, covering the tyranny of Tarquinius Superbus, the rape of Lucretia and the expulsion of the kings in 509 BC, the creation of the two annual consuls and the new constitution, and how to use Livy's dramatic narrative critically.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point is the hinge of the period study: the fall of the monarchy in 509 BC and the birth of the Republic. You need to explain why the kings were overthrown (the tyranny of Tarquinius Superbus, the rape of Lucretia), and what replaced the monarchy (the two annual consuls and the new constitution). Because Livy tells the story as a gripping moral drama, you must use his narrative critically.
The answer
The tyranny of Tarquinius Superbus
This long-term tyranny built up deep resentment among the Roman aristocracy, who wanted a share in government.
The rape of Lucretia and the expulsion of the kings
The birth of the Republic: the consuls
These features (annual office, two equal holders, the Senate's advice, and the right of citizens to appeal) were deliberate safeguards against tyranny, born of the hatred of kingship.
Using Livy critically
Examples in context
A model answer distinguishes the long-term cause from the immediate trigger and shows how they combined, rather than telling the Lucretia story alone.
Try this
Q1. In what year was the monarchy overthrown, and what replaced the king? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. 509 BC; the monarchy was replaced by the Republic, with two consuls elected each year instead of a king for life.
Q2. Explain why the Romans chose to have two consuls elected annually rather than a single ruler. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Because they hated kingship after the tyranny of Tarquinius Superbus, they built in safeguards: two consuls could check each other, and annual election meant no one could build permanent personal power, so the system was designed to prevent a return to tyranny.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR J198/02 201910 marksExplain why the monarchy was overthrown in 509 BC. [10-mark explanation question]Show worked answer →
A Section A explanation question (AO1 and AO2) on causation.
Knowledge. Tarquinius Superbus ruled as a tyrant, ignoring the Senate and ruling by fear; the immediate trigger in Livy was the rape of Lucretia by the king's son, which provoked an aristocratic revolt led by Brutus.
Explanation. Reward developed reasons: long-term resentment at the king's tyranny and contempt for the nobles, the immediate outrage of Lucretia, and the aristocracy's wish to rule themselves through annually elected magistrates rather than a king.
Top band. Distinguish the long-term cause (tyranny) from the immediate trigger (Lucretia) and judge how they combined to end the monarchy.
OCR J198/02 20218 marksStudy Sources A and B (both from Livy on the expulsion of the kings). How far do these sources agree about why the monarchy fell? [8-mark source-comparison question]Show worked answer →
A Section A source-comparison question (AO3) on two passages from a prescribed author.
Agreement. Both stress that the monarchy fell because of the misrule and tyranny of Tarquinius Superbus and the outrage of Lucretia.
Difference. One passage may emphasise the personal crime and the role of Brutus, the other the wider tyranny and the nobles' desire for liberty, reflecting Livy's moral framing.
Judgement. Conclude that they agree on the broad cause but may differ in emphasis, and note that Livy frames the whole as a moral drama of tyranny punished and liberty won, so his account must be weighed.
Related dot points
- The foundation legends of Rome: Aeneas and the Trojan origins, Romulus and Remus, the she-wolf and the founding of the city in 753 BC, the rape of the Sabine women, and how Livy's narrative can be tested against the archaeology of the early settlement on the Palatine.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History answer on the foundation legends of Rome, covering the Trojan origins through Aeneas, Romulus and Remus and the she-wolf, the founding of the city in 753 BC and the rape of the Sabine women, and how Livy's narrative can be tested against the archaeology of the early settlement on the Palatine.
- The regal period and the seven kings of Rome: the contributions of Numa, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Marcius and the Etruscan kings (Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius and Tarquinius Superbus), the reforms of Servius Tullius, and the influence of the Etruscans on early Rome, studied through Livy.
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- The early Republic and the Conflict of the Orders: the division between patricians and plebeians, the first secession of the plebs in 494 BC and the creation of the tribunes of the plebs, and the plebeians' struggle for legal and political rights, studied through Livy.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History answer on the early Republic and the Conflict of the Orders, covering the division between patricians and plebeians, the first secession of the plebs in 494 BC and the creation of the tribunes of the plebs, and the plebeians' struggle for legal and political rights, studied through Livy.
- The Twelve Tables of about 450 BC: the demand for written law, the work of the Decemvirs and the fall of the second Decemvirate, the content and significance of the first written Roman law code, and its importance for the plebeians, studied through Livy.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History answer on the Twelve Tables of about 450 BC, covering the plebeian demand for written law, the work of the Decemvirs and the fall of the second Decemvirate, the content and significance of Rome's first written law code, and its importance for the plebeians, studied through Livy.
- The prescribed sources for the Foundations of Rome period study: Livy as the main literary narrative (and the problem of a moralising author writing centuries later), Dionysius of Halicarnassus as a parallel Greek account, and the archaeological evidence for early Rome, and how to weigh later literary tradition against material evidence.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History guide to the prescribed sources for the Foundations of Rome period study, explaining how to use Livy as the main literary narrative (and the problem of a moralising author writing centuries later), Dionysius of Halicarnassus as a parallel Greek account, and the archaeological evidence for early Rome, and how to weigh later literary tradition against material evidence.
Sources & how we know this
- OCR GCSE (9-1) Ancient History J198 specification — OCR (2017)
- Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, Books 1 and 2 — Perseus Digital Library