The Early Republic
Before the Republic
• What form of government preceded the
Roman Republic?
– Monarchy (753 BC – 509 BC)
– The Republic traditionally began in 509 BC
What is a Republic?
• It comes from the Latin “res publica” (public
matter)
• a government in which supreme power
resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote
and is exercised by elected officers and
representatives responsible to them and
governing according to law (Webster’s
Dictionary)
Roman Republic
• There was a constitution; however, it was
unwritten. Mainly the constitution was a set
of practices and customs set on precedent.
• “A major cause of change was the long, yet
successful, struggle of the common people,
the plebs, to acquire legal and political
equality with the upper-class patricians” (Ecce
Romani)
The leaders of the Roman Republic
• Two consuls
• One-year terms
• Why such short terms?
– The Romans were wary of the monarchy. They did
not want a form of government where one person
(rex, king) had unlimited power
• Lucius Junius Brutus
• Lucius Tarquinius
Collatinus
Two Consuls
Praetors
Aediles
Tribunes
quaestors
Consuls and the Magistrates
• Consuls – head of civil government and
generals of the army
• Praetors – directed judicial system
• Aediles – supervised commerce and public
works
• Tribunes – championed the lower class
• Quaestors – handled financial matters
Censors
• Chosen every five years
• Revised list of Senate members
• Carried out the census (assigning citizens to
classes)
Cursus honorum
• “course of offices” – Roman political careers
• Think about political careers for American
politicians. Is president usually the first
elected office the person holds?
Cursus honorum
• Military service
quaestor
praetor
Consul
Senate
Censor
The Senate
The Senate
• Senatus Populusque Romanus
The Senate
• An advisory council
• Members were former magistrates
– Once a man became a quaestor, he was eligible
for Senate membership
• Although just “advised” consuls, the Senate
did have a large influence in the Roman
government.
• Advised on finance and foreign policy
• Served for life, unless expelled by censors
Exit Pass
• List two offices in the Roman Republic
government.
• What does SPQR mean?