1. Roman History II: Foundations of Republican Rome
Culture Lesson for 1st and 2nd Year Latin

2. Republic Vs. Monarchy Roman Monarchy One leader
Usually elected or declared by the people
Advised by Senate, but retained supreme power
Retained office for life
Roman Republic
Two leaders and multiple lesser officers
Elected by the people via comitiae
Senate has greater role in checking administration
Held power for limited time (6 months to a year)

3. Cursus Honorum (The Track of Offices)
Quaestor
Lowest office on the official track
In charge of funds and treasury
Could be assigned to a military unit, a province, or to Rome
Minimum age between 27 and 30 years old
Upon completing duties, became a member of the Senate
Aedile
Not officially part of Cursus, but considered a good stop for ambitious people
In charge of public works, entertainment, grain supply, and bureaucracy
Four: two plebeian, two curule (patricians with special chairs)

4. Cursus Honorum (The Track of Offices)
Praetor
Original title of consul
Retained imperium (military authority)
Mainly involved as judges in the courts
Usually had to be 40 or so to be elected; up to 8 elected each year
When year was finished, would get a province and govern as a propraetor
Consul
Highest elected authority
In charge of military affairs, had imperium
Chaired Senate meetings
Minimum age between 36 and 42 years old
Always two for sake of balance
When finished, became proconsul of a province

5. Honores Non In Cursu Tribunus Plebis Censor Tribune of the People
10 in number
Had the power of veto (intercessio) over all governmental acts
Person was sacrosanct (could not be harmed under penalty of death)
Later, became senators after their term of office
Censor
Elected two at a time every 5 years for a period of 18 months
Ran a census of people and land, determined approximate wealth of Romans and what their economic status was
In charge of public morality and the rolls of the Senate.

6. Honores Non In Cursu Dictator
Emergency office appointed in times of great need
Filled by one person for a period of 6 months, at which time the Senate can renew powers for another 6 months if necessary
Supreme authority to do as needed, usually in the capacity of military or public safety
Assisted by a Magister Equitum, Master of the Knights, as a second-in-command.

7. Lictores Attendants of the higher magistrates
Carried the fasces, bundle of rods surrounding an axe
Consuls had 12 lictors, dictators had 24
Praetors had 6, but only when out of Rome on military affairs

8. Senatus Romanus
Tradition holds the Senate formed under Romulus; meant to be a council of wise older men (from senex, old man).
Like magistrates, originally restricted to patrician aristocracy; later opened up to plebeians and equites (middle class).
Did not actually pass laws, but advanced them to the comitiae, adding or leaving off their approval of the measure.

9. Senatus Romanus
Number of members increased from 100 in the beginning to 300 by the time of I. Caesar.
Could only enter after having held a magistracy; usually entered after quaestorship or tribunate.
Lifetime membership
Seats often staid within families, perpetuating the division of privileged and underprivileged

10. Comitiae Comitia Centuriata Comitia Tributa
Made up of 373 centuries, each based on age and property value of male citizens; military in origin
Decided issues of war and peace
Elected consuls, praetors, and curule aediles
Could be appealed to in death penalty cases
Comitia Tributa
Divided by the 35 original tribes of Romans
Elected quaestors
Main body for passing legislation brought forth by consuls, praetors, and tribunes from Senate
Could be appealed to in cases not involving capital punishment

11. Concilium Plebis Representative body of plebeians
Elected plebeian aediles and tribunes
Lex Hortensia of 287 B.C. allowed body to pass laws called plebiscita that were binding on all citizens
Traditionally, would clear through Senate first
Later, tribunes bypassed Senate and went directly to the people

12. Politics and Status Romans divided into two (later three) classes:
Patres (patricians, upper class): old ancestry, old wealth. Controlled government and religion until 4th century B.C.
Plebes (plebeians, lower class): lacked ancestry of patricians, though could be wealthy. Struggled long with the patricians and eventually gained the right to hold offices, marry up, and be versant in (later, be creators of) the law.

13. Connections to America
Usage of names and symbolism (fasces, Senate)
Qualifications to vote and hold office (originally, had to be male and own land)
Origins in monarchy
Comitiae similar to town hall meeting or caucus
Checks and Balances
People elect magistrates through established channels (electoral college, comitiae)
Magistrates, Senate, courts interact and watch each other
Citizens have recourses
Limited terms, limited power

14. Legends of Republican Rome
Horatius Cocles
Tarquinius Superbus returns to Etruria and enlists the aid of King Lars Porsena to retake the city
Horatius and his friends, upon hearing of this, decide to break down Rome’s one bridge across the Tiber
Horatius fights off entire army alone while friends destroy the bridge, then swims the Tiber to safety through a hail of spears and arrows

15. Legends of Republican Rome
Mucius Scaevola
Young Mucius infiltrates Etruscan camp to kill Porsena
In the open, attacks who he thinks is Porsena; actually kills Porsena’s secretary
Etruscans capture him, threaten him with torture and death. Sticks his right hand into a fire to show Roman strength and determination
Set free. Romans named him Scaevola, “Lefty”

16. Legends of Republican Rome
Cloelia
Porsena agrees to leave Rome, but demands hostages to take with him to prevent Roman retaliation
One hostage, Cloelia, escapes her captors and swims across the Tiber to Rome
Romans return her to Porsena, but he is so impressed with her that he allows her to go free anyway. Romans built her an equestrian statue in the Forum

17. Legends of Republican Rome
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
458 B.C.: Rome at war with neighbors the Aequi. Aequi had besieged a Roman consul and his army on Mt. Algidus, and the other consul was not deemed able to rescue him
Senate declared Cincinnatus dictator. Envoys sent to tell him found him working in his fields. Immediately, he put on his toga and left with the senators to Rome.

18. Legends of Republican Rome
Cincinnatus continued
Gathered all able-bodied men together in Rome, told them to bring 5 days’ food and poles to build a palisade
Reached the mountain at midnight, surrounded the Aequi, and built their palisade. When sun rose, the surrounded Aequi surrendered.
After only a few days as dictator, Cincinnatus returned victorious to Rome, resigned his office, and went back to his farm.

19. Cincinnatus and Cincinnati
Following American Revolution, many former soldiers formed the Society of Cincinnatus, dedicated to the ideals in the story of the dictator
One of the members, General Arthur St. Clair, was a governor of the Ohio Territory. Upon his arrival, he found the beginnings of a city, Losantaville. He asked that the city’s name be changed to honor the Roman hero- hence, Cincinnati, city of Cincinnatus.
Because of our Roman name, Il Duce Benito Mussolini of Italy gifted the city with a replica of the Capitoline Wolf sculpture in the 1930’s. It resides in Eden Park to this day.