1. Roman Republic 509 BC to 27 BC

2. BACKGROUND Founding 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

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. Constitution (the Commons)
PLEBIANS
Several 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)

9. Equites (knights) Later teens unlimited 10yrs Military Tribune 25 24
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 plebs
2 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

10. OFFICE
Min age Patrcn, -2
Number
Term
Service
Powers
Consul
(top rung) 42 2
1 yr
ten 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
18 months
Saw to the numbers in tribes, and vetted candidates for senate
Tribune of the Plebs 10
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.