Transcript Roman Republic

Roman Republic
Three Major Periods of Roman
History
Roman Origins
• Circa 1000-509 BCE
• Earliest settlements on Palatine Hill
• 753 BCE – Legendary founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus
Roman Republic
• 509-31 BCE
• Etruscan kings overthrown under leadership of Lucius Junius Brutus, the traditional founder of
the Republic, in 509 BCE
• Republic = “thing of the people”
• Ended with Battle of Actium in 31 BCE
Roman Empire
• 31 BCE-476 CE
• Began when Octavian’s forces defeated the forces of Antony and Cleopatra
• End of Western Roman Empire traditionally dated to 476 CE, when last emperor, Romulus
Augustus, deposed
• Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire continued until conquered by the Turks in 1453
Start of a new Roman Government
* Rome was founded about 509 BCE.
Romans founded a new type of government
called a republic. In a republic people
chose officials to represent them.
* ONLY FREE-BORN MALES COULD
VOTE (ROMAN MEN’S CLUB)
Rome’s republic was shaped by a
struggle between wealthy nobles and
regular citizens.
Patricians
Plebeians
Patricians
Plebeians
1.Wealthy land
1.Majority of the
population
2.Artisans,
shopkeepers, small
farm owners
3. Citizens (male)–
owners
2.Nobles that made
up the ruling class
3.Citizens (male)–
could vote, had to
pay taxes and serve
in the army
4.Could not marry a
Plebian
5.Could serve in
government
could vote, pay
taxes, serve in
army
4.Could not marry
a Patrician
5.Could not serve
in government
Although the PATRICIANS
controlled the government, they
found themselves unable to exist
without the plebeians.
The PLEBEIANS produced the
FOOD and supplied the
LABOR that kept the Roman
economy going.
They also supplied the soldiers
for the Roman MILITARY –
especially important since Rome
was in continual military
conflict during the age of the
Republic.
How the Republic Works
Division of Power
Dictator
.
Consuls
Senate
Assembly
Consuls
1. Top government official
2. Two chosen every year
3. Headed the army and ran the
government
4. Served short term….avoided
risk of abusing power
5. Veto
 The right of the consul to
reject the other’s decision.
Latin for “I forbid”
Senate
Latin for “old men”
1. 300 men
2. Chosen for life
3. Advise Consul
4. Deal with other countries
5. Proposes laws
6. Approve public works
7. Deal with daily government
problems
Assembly
1. Citizen soldiers – a voting assembly
2. Power comes
slowly
3. First step
towards
democracy
PLEBEIAN STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS
For more than two centuries following the establishment of the Republic, the plebeians
struggled for political and social equality.
Outright civil war was averted by the willingness of the patricians to compromise.
Much of the plebeians’ success in this struggle was also due to their tactics of
collective action and to their having organized a corporate group within the state.
 The unofficial body was known as
the PLEBEIAN COUNCIL.
 It was presided over by plebeian
officials called TRIBUNES, whose
job was to safeguard the interests
of the plebeians and to negotiate
with the consuls and the Senate.
The Roman Republic –
The System of Checks and Balances
The system was based on balance of interests
Monarchical
Aristocratic
Democratic
2 Consuls
+ other magistrates
Senate
Assembly of Tribes
Tribune
Directed government and army Controlled state budget
Acted as judges
Could pass laws
Could issue edicts
Acted as chief priest
Approved/rejected laws
Decided on War
Tribune could veto actions of
magistrate
Acted as final court
Basis of power:
possess imperium, the right to
rule
need for leadership
Basis of power:
members were richest men in
Rome.
Basis of power:
provided most of the soldiers
Limits on power:
one year term
each could veto
Limits on power:
could not control army
needed majority as soldiers.
Limits on power:
Could not suggest laws
often paid as clients by the
elite
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
Because the consuls often interpreted Rome's unwritten
customary law to suit PATRICIAN INTERESTS, the plebeians
demanded that it be written down.
Plebeians go on strike for more say in the government.
Leave the farms and the army to go sit on the Palatine Hill
(Forum)
Patricians compromise- Pass a written code of law called the
TWELVE TABLES.
Laws were harsh, but equal
As a result, about 450 B.C., the law was inscribed on
twelve tablets of bronze and set up publicly in the Forum.
The LAW OF THE TWELVE TABLETS was the first
landmark in the long history of Roman law.
The plebeians in time acquired other
fundamental rights and safeguards:
They secured the right to
APPEAL A DEATH
SENTENCE imposed by a consul
and to be retried before the
popular assembly.
The tribunes gained a VETO
POWER over any legislation or
executive act that threatened the
rights of the plebeians.
MARRIAGE between patricians
and plebeians, prohibited by the
Law of the Twelve Tablets, was
legalized.
The enslavement of citizens for
DEBT was abolished
POLITICAL POWER
Little by little, the plebeian class acquired more
power in the functioning of government.
In 367 B.C., ONE CONSULSHIP was
reserved for the plebeians.
Before the end of the century, they were
eligible to hold other important positions:
PRAETOR (in charge of the law courts),
QUAESTOR (treasurer), CENSOR (supervisor
of public morals and state contracts).
 Some plebeians succeeded in gaining entry to the SENATE.
 The long struggle for equality ended in 287 B.C. when the
PLEBEIAN COUNCIL was recognized as a constitutional body,
henceforth known as the TRIBAL ASSEMBLY, with the right to
PASS LAWS that were binding on all citizens.
 The Roman Republic was now technically a democracy, although
in actual practice a senatorial aristocracy of patricians and rich
plebeians continued to control the state.
Problems Facing the Senate
the various expansion and conquests of war changed
the dynamic of the Roman Republic as the wealthy had
enjoyed the spoils of war, the slave population had
increased and depressed the wages of poorer
Romans
In turn the poor Romans could not join the military
(as it was expensive to afford all the armour) so army
numbers decreased as well as cohesion and loyalty to
the state
the Senate did not do anything to resolve this problem
Gracchus Brothers
Gracchus brothers (Tiberius and Gaius) were both tribunes who
tried to bring in land reforms to give publically owned land to
dispossessed farmers which would in turn increase the wealth of
farmers who could then join the army.
BUT he submitted his bill without the approval of the Senate and
eventually the Senate had him murdered.
His brother Gaius tried to limit the powers of the Senate such as
assigning governors to provinces who were notoriously corrupt and
as well tried to pass land reforms. The Senate passed a resolution
known as the 'last decree' which declared martial law and Gaius was
hunted down by a mob and killed.
New Reforms
Marius Reforms: Gaius Marius made reforms to the
Roman army that men did not need to own property to
join the army, volunteers would be accepted which
changed the army to be largely of poor men who served
their commander, received booty from him (land)
which changed the army into an instrument of
ambitious commanders
Senate denied a bill made by Marcus Livius Drusus
that would have granted Italian ppls who were Rome's
allies Roman citizenship. They then killed him.
Caesars' Grab for Power
Caesar's conquest in Gaul enriched Rome but the Senate was
worried that he would use his popularity to seize power as a dictator.
Senate ordered Caesar to lay down his command, and under the
martial law 'last decree' ordered Pompey to command his armies
against Caesar.
Senate then threatens the lives of any tribunes who opposed the
Senate (which allowed Caesar to campaign that he was defending the
rights of the tribunes (common ppl) and of his men in his army).
Caesar then crosses the Rubicon and 'invades' Rome.
Caesar vs the Senate
After Pompey's death by the Egyptians and his political and
romantic establishment with Cleopatra VII and Egypt, Caesar
becomes dictator and consul in Rome in 44 BCE. He extends his
dictatorship beyond the legal 6 month limit and names himself
dictator for life and takes complete authority to pass laws, declare
war and appoint men to office.
He raises the membership of the Senate to 900 men and
includes his veteran officers. Here the Senate loses its former
authority and settles his soldiers in new colonies and grants
citizenship to some provinces.
Ides of March…
Enter Octavian!
Senate then conspires and assassinates Caesar as self proclaimed
'defenders of liberty' which effectively destroys the Roman Republic
Octavian (Augustus) becomes the first Emperor and gives the Senate
control of the pacified provinces (Asia, Africa, Greece) to be ruled by
governors appointed by the Senate- After the transition of the
Republic into the Principate, the Senate lost much of its political
power as well as its prestige.
Emperor Diocletian put into constitutional reforms which made the
Senate became politically irrelevant, and never regained the power that
it had once held. When the seat of government was transferred out of
Rome, the Senate was reduced to a municipal body.