Roman Republic509 BC to 27 BC

BACKGROUNDFounding of Rome

• The tale of Aeneas (The Aeneid by Vergil)– Fleeing burning Troy with his father Anchises and son Iulus

– Dido at Carthage and other travels (like The Odyssey)

• Historical evidence– Settlements from 11th Century BC

Kingdom of Rome (753-509BC)• Romulus and Remus

– Latin princess was Vestal virgin– Raped by Mars, bore twin boys – Ordered killed by non-Latin king – Suckled by a she wolf– Grew and founded a city (753BC)– Romulus killed Remus for power.

• Historic Evidence– The Etruscans conquered the Romans

(non-Latin king)– Romans eventually overthrew Etruscans– Ruins of home of king (Romulus?) date

from 8th Century BC• Regal period

– Ruled by 7 kings beginning with Romulus– Mostly a bad time of oppression by

tyrants– Revolted in 510, and threw out the last

king (Tarquin), and Etruscan influence

Republican Period (509-27BC)• Republican rule replaced the monarchy, the Romans

determined never again to tolerate a king’s rule– Replaced with a “res publica” = rule of the people– This combined balanced elements of

• PEOPLE: Democracy - citizens rule (plebians)– Assembly of the plebs

• SENATE: Aristocracy – nobles rule (patricians)– the senate (elders)

• MAGISTRATES: Monarchy – rule of one– imperium legal authority (under certain conditions) to impose the

law was held by several magistrates – especially the consuls– Veto power to prevent any laws being passed either consul or

tribunes of the plebs– but each balanced the power of the other.– Magistrates such as consuls, praetors, tribunes of the plebs,

censors etc• All this was held together by mainly unwritten codes of precedent or

constitution called “the way of the elders” - mos maioram.

Republican Government avoided the greatest fear of the Romans – rule by a king

• Rome overthrew its last king (Tarquinius Superbus) in 509BC

• Developed a mostly unwritten constitution called the mos maiorum “the customs of the elders” to regulate rule by a senate (aristocrats) and the people– SPQR= ‘Senatus Populus que Romanus’ = The Senate and the People of

Rome

Republican Government• Senate (originally Patricians – later also wealthy

Plebians) elected 2 consuls (1 year)– Finance, Foreign affairs and the military– Direct access by the people to the consul

• People (plebs) organized by 35 tribes and they elected 10 tribunes– Governed local affairs– Had veto power (individually) over even the senate & consuls

• The Mos Maiorum ensured balance of political power.– Veto (I forbid) of the Tribune of the Plebs protected commoners against the

senate’s (aristocrats) laws– Veto of one consul against his co-consul ensured no ONE could act alone.– fixed, limited term offices ensured power was spread around. – sacrosanct tribunes, both their person, and their veto meant aristocrats

couldn’t bully or persecute him to support them. – Imperium (right to raise war, and capital punishment) limited to 3 offices– No army to be brought into the city walls (pomerium) meant individuals

couldn’t use military might against the people and senate– Also involved customs of right regulation of civic and family life

Constitution(the elites)

• Senate (aristocrats)– Originally 300 later 600 members of elite families.– Dominated by small group patrician (consular) families.

– Never made laws but recommended them to the assembly of the plebs (Concilium Plebis)

– Had power to appoint a person to solve a specific problem (He was a "speaker" or "dictator” – a 6 months imperium)

– Appointed censors (vetted senatorial candidates, moral guardian/rank judge)

– Appointed governors to Rome’s Provinces (pro-consuls)

– Concerned with finance (so could block laws) & foreign affairs.

– Thus they came to dominate the whole government by their wealth and influence – an imbalance that caused the republic’s destruction.

Constitution (the Commons)

PLEBIANSSeveral assemblies of Plebs existed, but with very limited power dominated by

wealthy magistrates, without secret ballot, “gate-kept” by the senate consultum.

• Concilium plebis(Assembly of the plebs)– Made all the laws (called plebiscita)– Lead by 10 Tribunes of the plebs

• Comitia Tributa– Elected magistrates (administrators) and judges• Comitia Curiata

– Confirmed emporium (military power) holders.• Comitia Centuriata – Wealthy elites – elected consuls and praetors (imperium offices).

STATE RELIGION• Several state religious offices had influence for example• Pontifex Maximus “great bridge builder”

– Chief priest of the city - office now held by.. • Vestal virgins

- sacred female priest who cared for the “household” of Rome, and other treasures - had rights independent of the patriarchy (vote, etc)

The CURSUS HONORUM (Latin: "course of honours") was the sequential order of public offices held by aspiring politicians in both the Roman Republic and the early Empire. It was designed for men of senatorial rank. The cursus honorum comprised a mixture of military and political administration posts. Membership of the senate came after serving as a Quaestor (1st rung on the cursus).

OFFICE Min age Patrician, -2

Number Term Service Powers

Equites (knights)

Later teens

unlimited 10yrs Service in the cavalry/military

An elite class in society.

Military Tribune

25 24 Commander in Legion

Quaestor (1st rung)

30 20 Financial admin in Rome or deputy-Governor in province. Organised games.

Brought Senatorial membership

Aedile (2nd rung)

36? 2 plebs2 patricians

1yr Supervises of temples, food & water, supervised markets, games & public building (edifices)

Praetor (3rd rung)

39 6-8 1 yr Judge in Roman courts, cover for an absent consul. Followed by Propraetorship (provincial governor)

Imperium (6 lictors).Veto in court cases for the chief Praetor

OFFICE Min age Patrcn, -2

Number

Term Service Powers

Consul (top rung)

42 2 1 yrten yr gap.Marius broke this rule.

In charge of Political agenda. Commanders in chief & chairmen of senate month about.Followed by Proconsulship (gov’nor of important provinces)

Could Veto each other. Imperium (12 Lictors). Could veto all offices except plebian tribunes.

Censor 2 18 months Saw to the numbers in tribes, and vetted candidates for senate

Tribune of the Plebs

10 1 yr Convene Plebs assembly, propose laws, protect the interests of plebs. Could exercise capital puishment, call senate together, and had to stay in or near Rome.

Full veto.Sacrosanct.

Dictator 1 6 months Take control in rarest emergencies appointed by consuls or senate. Canceled all other offices except Tribune

Imperium. (24 Lictors)

Lictors were guards & escorts for magistrates who possessed imperium (Praetors, Consuls, Dictators). They carried Fasces (rods and axe) as symbols of the power to beat, and execute that imperium holders possessed. The modern term Fascist refers to this power.