The Early Roman
Republic
Phases of Roman
Government
• Roman Monarchy
– 753 – 509 BCE
• Roman Republic
– 509 – 31 BCE
• Roman Empire
– 31 BCE – 476 CE
Rome’s Early
Republican Government
Consuls
• 2 leaders of Rome
• Military command of the armies
(imperium)
• Judges and legislators
• Did not have religious function
• Elected annually
• Resembled kings, but WERE
NOT KINGS
Rome’s Early
Republican Government
The Senate
• Existed under the kings
– Advisors only
•
•
•
•
Controlled Rome’s finances
Created and passed laws
Elected for a lifetime of service
All elected officials became
members of the Senate
• Must have a certain income and
background
Rome’s Early
Republican Government
Comitia Centuriata
• All citizens belonged
• Categorized by wealth
– Some citizens were more equal
than others
• Elected all officials (consuls)
• Declared war, ratified treaties and
laws
Rome has 2 classes of
citizens
Patricians
Plebeians
• Rome’s aristocrats
• Citizens
• Claimed divine
heritage
• Consisted of the
Famous Families
• Controlled the
political, social,
religious, and
economic life of Rome
• Could sit in the Senate
• Non-aristocrats
• Citizens of Rome
– Non-slaves
• Range from middle to
lower classes
• May be wealthy from
trade
– Rural farmers
– Artisans
• May not sit in the
Senate or serve as a
religious leader
Struggle of the Orders
Plebeian Grievances
Upper class plebeians barred from serving in the
government
Middle and lower classes overtaxed
Rural farmers forced to serve in Army
Harsh debtor laws
Patricians had control of the legal system
•
Corrupt
Patricians had control of higher army offices
•
Not always good generals
Patricians made economic laws
•
Not allowed to do business – did not always create
good economic policy
Results of Plebeian
Complaints
1.
Twelve Tables (450ish BCE)
• Law Code for everyone
2. Licinian-Sextian Law (367 BCE)
• 1 patrician, 1 plebeian consul elected each
year
• Wealthy plebeians could enter Senate
3. Publilian Law (339 BCE)
• New plebeian assembly could pass laws
independent of the Senate
4. Hortensian Law (287 BCE)
• Laws passed by plebeian assembly applied
to plebeians and patricians
The Twelve Tables, 450 BCE
Provided political and social
rights for the plebeians.
The Twelve Tables
TABLE I Procedure: for courts and trials
TABLE II Trials, continued.
TABLE III Debt
TABLE IV Rights of fathers (paterfamilias)
TABLE V Legal guardianship and inheritance laws
TABLE VI Acquisition and possession
TABLE VII Land rights
TABLE VIII Torts and delicts (Laws of injury)
TABLE IX Public law
TABLE X Sacred law
TABLE XI Supplement I
TABLE XII Supplement II
Sample Laws
IV. 1 "A dreadfully deformed child shall be killed.“
XI. 1 "Marriage shall not take place between a
patrician and a plebeian.“
VIII. 1 "If any person has sung or composed against
another person a SONG (carmen) such as was
causing slander or insult.... he shall be clubbed to
death.“
? "There are eight kinds of punishment: fine, fetters,
flogging, retaliation in kind, civil disgrace,
banishment, slavery, death."
Republican Government
by 4 c BCE
2 Consuls
(Rulers of Rome)
Senate
(Representative body for patricians and
plebeians)
Plebeian Assembly
(Representative body for plebeians)
The Roman Forum