Transcript No Slide Title - UniFreshmanHistory

Framework: From Monarchy to Republic
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Fall of Monarchy
– Tarquinius Superbus
– Rebellion of Aristocracy
Framework: From Monarchy to Republic
•
•
Fall of Monarchy
– Tarquinius Superbus
– Rebellion of Aristocracy
What is a Republic?
– Res publica
– Senate populesque Romanus (SPQR)
– State without a…
– Checks and Balances
Framework: From Monarchy to Republic
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•
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Fall of Monarchy
– Tarquinius Superbus
– Rebellion of Aristocracy
What is a Republic?
– Res publica
– Senate populesque Romanus (SPQR)
– State without a king
– Checks and Balances
Arc of Republic
– Periodization
• Early Republic: 509 BCE-280s BCE
• Middle Republic: 280s BCE-133 BCE
• Late Republic: 133 BCE-27 BCE
– Aristocracy Retains Power
– Expansion of Empire
– Death of Republic
Structure of Republican Governance
“As for the Roman constitution, it had three elements, each of
them possessing sovereign powers: and their respective share of
power in the whole state had been regulated with such a
scrupulous regard to equality and equilibrium, that no one could
say for certain, not even a native, whether the constitution as a
whole were an aristocracy or democracy or despotism.”
-Polybius, 2nd Century Historian
Structure of Republican Governance
• Despotic Element: Consuls
• Aristocratic Element: Senate
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Who are they?
Becoming a Senator
Tasks
Proposing Laws
“Advice”
As Rome expands…
Structure of Republican Governance
• Despotic Element: Consuls
• Aristocratic Element: Senate
• Democratic Element: Assemblies
– Who could participate?
– Overview
» Rome
» What did they do?
» Discuss?
» The Real Power?
– Three Major Assemblies
» Comitia Centuriata (Century Assembly)
» Comitia Tributa (Tribal Assembly)
» Concilium Plebis (Plebeian Council)
Structure of Republican Governance
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Despotic Element: Consuls
Aristocratic Element: Senate
Democratic Element: Assemblies
Magistrates
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Term Limits
Elected by…
Hierarchy
Magistrates become…
Evolution
The Offices
Perpetuating Inequality and Senatorial Power
• Unpaid Offices
Perpetuating Inequality and Senatorial Power
• Unpaid Offices
• Centrality of Senate
FC.31B THE FLOW OF POWER IN THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
Problems of ruling an empire w/city-state govt. & army of short-term amateur officials & militia(FC.30)
Senate: Advisory body of 300 ex-office holders whose
decrees (senatus consulta) are not technically laws but
have virtual force of law to:
Rule on technical Assign magistrates’ tasks (e.g., Assign budgets
acceptability of which proconsul rules which to. governors &
province & for how long)
officials
treaties & laws
Senate controls popular assemblies
through:
Senate controls officials who return to
Senate after 1-yr terms:
Comitia Tributa;
Comitia Centuriata
• Votes on laws that only • Votes on war & peace
officials (who are also • Weighted bloc voting to
senators) can propose favor those who bear the
brunt of the fighting
• Open ballots Control
(which used to be the
votes of their clientes
rich)
(poor dependants)
Consuls & praetors
Tribunes
(who are also members of (who are also members of
Senate)
Senate)
• Control what laws are • Supposedly protect the
proposed to the
poor, propose laws, &
assemblies, their text, & can veto any act of state
who gets to discuss them they or the senate want
Senate controls various traditional and religious procedures:
Cursus Honorum The minumum age,
Censors: 2 officials elected
Priests (who are also
number of times, & order one can hold
every 5 yrs to choose worthy
senators) that can declare bad
offices: Military tribune quaestor aedile men to fill the Senate to 300 &
omens & postpone govt.
or tribune praetor consul
expel unworthy senators
business for that day
Centrality of
Senate
1) “Advice”
2) Shaped Laws
3) Which
Assembly?
4) Crucial Role in
Assemblies
5) Senate =
Magistrates
6) Dictated Tasks of
Magistrates
7) Cursus Honorum
FC.31B THE FLOW OF POWER IN THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
Problems of ruling an empire w/city-state govt. & army of short-term amateur officials & militia(FC.30)
Senate: Advisory body of 300 ex-office holders whose
decrees (senatus consulta) are not technically laws but
have virtual force of law to:
Rule on technical Assign magistrates’ tasks (e.g., Assign budgets
acceptability of which proconsul rules which to. governors &
province & for how long)
officials
treaties & laws
Senate controls popular assemblies
through:
Senate controls officials who return to
Senate after 1-yr terms:
Comitia Tributa;
Comitia Centuriata
• Votes on laws that only • Votes on war & peace
officials (who are also • Weighted bloc voting to
senators) can propose favor those who bear the
brunt of the fighting
• Open ballots Control
(which used to be the
votes of their clientes
rich)
(poor dependants)
Consuls & praetors
Tribunes
(who are also members of (who are also members of
Senate)
Senate)
• Control what laws are • Supposedly protect the
proposed to the
poor, propose laws, &
assemblies, their text, & can veto any act of state
who gets to discuss them they or the senate want
Senate controls various traditional and religious procedures:
Cursus Honorum The minumum age,
Censors: 2 officials elected
Priests (who are also
number of times, & order one can hold
every 5 yrs to choose worthy
senators) that can declare bad
offices: Military tribune quaestor aedile men to fill the Senate to 300 &
omens & postpone govt.
or tribune praetor consul
expel unworthy senators
business for that day
Voting
1) In Rome
2) Vote by
Tribe/Century
3) Bloc Voting
Bloc Voting in Comitia Centuriata
• 193 Centuries, split up according to property and age
– 18 for equites
– 170 for enlisted
» Split up, disproportionately, on property lines
» 85 for over 46
» 85 for under 46
– 5 for others
» Just 1 for the mass of very poor
• Result: _________________________
FC.31B THE FLOW OF POWER IN THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
Problems of ruling an empire w/city-state govt. & army of short-term amateur officials & militia(FC.30)
Senate: Advisory body of 300 ex-office holders whose
decrees (senatus consulta) are not technically laws but
have virtual force of law to:
Rule on technical Assign magistrates’ tasks (e.g., Assign budgets
acceptability of which proconsul rules which to. governors &
province & for how long)
officials
treaties & laws
Senate controls popular assemblies
through:
Senate controls officials who return to
Senate after 1-yr terms:
Comitia Tributa;
Comitia Centuriata
• Votes on laws that only • Votes on war & peace
officials (who are also • Weighted bloc voting to
senators) can propose favor those who bear the
brunt of the fighting
• Open ballots Control
(which used to be the
votes of their clientes
rich)
(poor dependants)
Consuls & praetors
Tribunes
(who are also members of (who are also members of
Senate)
Senate)
• Control what laws are • Supposedly protect the
proposed to the
poor, propose laws, &
assemblies, their text, & can veto any act of state
who gets to discuss them they or the senate want
Senate controls various traditional and religious procedures:
Cursus Honorum The minumum age,
Censors: 2 officials elected
Priests (who are also
number of times, & order one can hold
every 5 yrs to choose worthy
senators) that can declare bad
offices: Military tribune quaestor aedile men to fill the Senate to 300 &
omens & postpone govt.
or tribune praetor consul
expel unworthy senators
business for that day
Voting
1) In Rome
2) Vote by
Tribe/Century
3) Bloc Voting
4) Vote in order of
5) Justification
6) Open Ballot
Patronage/Clientage
• Paternalism and Pietas
• Nature of Patron/Client Relationship
– Patron provides…
– Client provides…
– Traced back to…
• Effect on Politics…
Social Conflict
Patriarchs and the Plebeians
 Overview:
 Monarchy into Early Republic
 Who were Patricians?
 What did they do?
 How did you become a Patrician?
 Traces back to…
Social Conflict
Patriarchs and the Plebeians
 Overview:
 Monarchy into Early Republic
 Who were Patricians?
 What did they do?
 How did you become a Patrician?
 Traces back to…
Struggle of the Orders
 Plebs gain status from 509-287
 Original Restrictions
 Plebeian Progress
 Plebs want…
 Technique
 Pleb Victories
 Lex Hortensia
Social Conflict
The New Aristocracy and the Retention of Privilege
 Which Plebs benefit?
 The New Aristocracy
 Same Families…
 Justification
 “Between the weakness of the ruler and the rashness of the masses,
the aristocrats have occupied a middle position, and there is no
position more moderate than theirs.” --Cicero