The Roman Republic
In 500 B.C., Rome was just one of many small towns in Italy. But by 133 B.C., the town had gained
control of all Italy, and had conquered foreign lands as well. Roman armies won victories in Spain, Greece,
Macedonia, Asia Minor (present day Turkey), and N. Africa.
There were several reasons for the success of the Romans. First, Rome was located in the center of the
Mediterranean World. This made it easy for its army and navy to move quickly in any direction. Second,
soldiers were courageous and well trained, and battles were carefully planned ahead of time by able generals.
Third, the Romans had the ability to make friends out of their defeated enemies. Eventually, conquered people
accepted wise and capable Roman rule and the peace that it brought.
The government in the early years of the Roman Republic had 3 branches—The Consuls, The Senate,
and The Assembly. Each branch had various powers.
Three Branches of Early Roman Government
2 Consuls
Senate (Patricians)
Assembly (Patricians & Plebeians)
Separation of Powers Among the 3 Branches
2 Consuls
Oversaw the work of other
government officials
Acted as judges
Directed the army in Wartime
Elected for 1 year term
Both consuls had to agree before the
government could take action
In an emergency, Consuls could
choose a “Dictator” to make quick
decisions
They chose the Senators
Senate
Held office for life
Were advisors to the consuls
and other govt. officials
Could approve or
disapprove laws passed by
Assembly
Decided how money should
spent
Made decisions concerning
relations with foreign
countries
Had influence over the
consuls and army
Assembly
Voted on laws suggested by
government officials
Could declare war or make peace
treaties
Elected the 2 Consuls
Elected government officials
Roman Empire
From Republic to Empire:
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Octavian was sole ruler of Rome after his forces defeated Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium
The Senate gave him the name “Augustus,” meaning “most high”
23 BCE Octavian, now referred to as Augustus, was made consul for life by the Senate–
o Also made “Princeps,” meaning “first citizen”
o Also made “Imperator,” meaning “successful general”
o Also made “Pontifex Maximus,” or “chief religious leader”
o Also made a tribune
o He had the power to call the Senate, veto the Senate’s laws, and make laws himself
o called primus inter pares = “First among equals”
Augustus and later emperors tried to maintain the façade that they were elected officials rather than dictators
o Being “first among equals” gave the illusion that an emperor was the most prestigious and important
member of the Roman Senate, but that each senator was simultaneously equally important
In reality, the Roman emperors ruled with little input from anyone else
Position of emperor became hereditary
o often chosen by support from the military
Roman Empire = series of good and bad emperors
PAX ROMANA = “Roman Peace”, over 200 years peace and prosperity across the Roman empire; except for some
fighting with tribes along the borders
Fall of Roman Empire
Economic Reasons
Gap between rich and poor
Impoverished workers became tied to the land as
coloni (sold as the land was sold)
As fewer members of the lower classes could afford to buy
goods (no purchasing power), manufacturing and trade
declined
Large estates became self-sufficient, further hurting
manufacturing and trade
Political Reasons
Decline in patriotism
Democracy did not exist in reality
Citizens lost their tie (voting rights) to the state
Patriotism became based on loyalty to an emperor, not to
Rome
Most emperors did not inspire respect or loyalty
East/West split - Two empires created problems regarding
loyalty
No orderly succession
Murders, forced suicides, and civil wars frequently
accompanied the transition from one emperor to the next
Military Reasons
Roman Republic
Armies were servants of Rome
Roman Empire
Armies made and unmade emperors
Reliance on barbarian troops
Not ultimately loyal to Rome
Could not be counted on to fight their fellow barbarians
Interested in obtaining booty, not defending Rome or
furthering Rome’s interests
BARBARIAN INVASIONS
Social Reasons
Population decline
Hunger
Plagues
War
Decline in intellectual culture
People did not dedicate themselves to public service and
intellectual pursuits
People instead spent their leisure time watching chariot races
and gladiatorial contests
Religious divisions
Eastern and Egyptian cults took away the popularity and status
of traditional Roman religion
New faiths like Christianity directly questioned and
challenged concepts such as imperial divinity