Roman Political Structure

SENATE Most powerful governmental institution in Rome during the Republic Made up of 300 members Descended from the ancient advisory body to Seven kings

SOURCES OF POWER Since most elected magistrates served one-year terms, while senators had lifetime terms, the Senate was the only governmental body that could maintain a continuous policy Senators had to be members of the First Class Only richest and most powerful men, with hordes of clients, sat in the Senate Almost all candidates for elected office were selected from the Senate had indirect control over entire government officials returned to Senate once their term was up, making it a reservoir of political experience and wisdom

LIMITS AND STRENGTHS Also had limits of power since it was an advisory body, not a legislature Did not possess initiative Could not convene itself or initiate discussion However, once a senator’s advice was requested, he was free to talk about anything he wanted Opinions were requested of each senator in set order Process continued until a viable proposal was produced After a passing vote, it was a senatus consult (decree of the Senate)‏ Senate did reign supreme in certain areas Controlled treasury Declared war and appointed military commanders Appointed provincial governors and regulated affairs Had right, in times of civil emergency, to override all other bodies of government and establish martial law Senatus consultum de republica defenda

ELECTED OFFICIALS Consuls 2 elected each year Dual chief executives Censors 2 elected ever 5 years Kept and updated voting lists Conducted means test for class membership and Senate Praetors 6 elected each year Served as state’s attorneys Quaestors 12 elected each year Oversaw financial matters Aediles 4 elected each year Organized public ceremonies

POLITICS Candidates for public office seldom offered a program and organized political parties did not exist Men were generally elected by the amount of bribes they offered, the lavishness of their public entertainments, the prestige of their family name, and their family connections They also saw nothing wrong in using their elected office to get richer and oppose every measure aimed at helping the poor Such as cheap grain, distribution of free land, and cancellation of debts

POWER TO THE PEOPLE? Members of the Head Count also held political power (at least in theory)‏ Their assemblies, the Centuriate Assembly and Tribal Assembly, held the power to elect magistrates, ratify treaties, and pass laws Yet the structure of these assemblies was rigged to give the wealthy good control of them too These were the same men who already controlled the Senate and monopolized elected offices

CENTURIATE ASSEMBLY Every citizen in Rome belonged to it Regardless of economic status Its main job was to elect magistrates Voting in assembly was not done on individual basis All citizens were divided into voting units called centuries Each century had one vote in Assembly Centuries were not equal in size  Entire Head Count in Rome ( ,000 people) were lumped together in one century  The wealthy divided into numerous small centuries Whenever a vote was taken, the wealthy, given their control of the majority of centuries, always won

TRIBAL ASSEMBLY Primary function was to pass laws Voting also not done on an individual basis Done according to tribe 35 in all; each having one vote Rich and poor fairly equally distributed in each tribe Two stumbling blocks Many members of Head Count did not attend meetings because that meant taking off work Attendance at Assembly therefore tended to be dominated by the wealthy and their clients Assembly could not do anything without the collaboration of a tribune Who only could introduce legislation Any tribune of the ten could veto legislative proposal  All ten had to agree before a bill became law  Not hard for wealthy to find one tribune to do their dirty work for them