Roman Government Under the Republic

1. Roman Government Under the Republic By Frank Kachmar

2. Constitution of the Republic • No real written constitution of Roman Republic • Rules of how government functioned determined by government leaders • Rules of how government functioned etched into stone in Roman Forum • Laws passed by government etched into stone in Roman Forum • Republic had 4 branches of government (Executive, Senate, Legislative, and Judicial) • Very similar to our government (We have three with a combined Senate and Legislation • Got inspiration from Roman Republic • All Roman citizens could vote

3. Roman Citizens • To be a citizen in Ancient Rome you had to: • Be a free individual • Be a law-abiding citizen • Own property • Have respect for government • Women had limited citizenship • People who lived in newly conquered lands had limited citizenship • They could enroll every 5 years (fee)(censors) • Freedmen could buy full citizenship • Most Romans born into citizenship • To be able to vote: • Must be male citizen with full citizenship

4. Plebeians vs. Patricians • At the beginning of the Roman Republic: • Citizens were divided into two social classes • The plebeians and the patricians • The patricians were the wealthy upper class of Rome • To be a patrician, you had to be born into it. Clans like Fabii, Julii, and Claudii • Patricians held more government seats • At beginning, only patricians could vote or hold office • Plebeians were middle and lower class (laborers, workers, businessmen, merchants, soldiers, newly enrolled citizens, etc.) • In 494 B.C. plebs. gained the right to vote, after revolt, and choose leaders, same year tribune was started. • Gradually all restrictions removed • 287 B.C., Plebian Council created. Few years later merged with Senate • Finally plebs. could be senators, and magistrates too. • By 200 B.C. it didn’t matter if you were a plebian or patrician, everyone was thought of as equal, terminology was not used.

5. Magistrates • In the Roman Republic the magistrates made up the executive branch of government • All seats held by magistrates were collegial, which meant that they were held by at least two men, for 1 year • All magistrates were elected by Roman Committee members who were elected by Roman citizens, except dictators. • There were 2 consuls, or top magistrates that were chief civil and • military commanders. They also organized and summoned Senate meetings. They were the top-ranking officials.(1 year terms) • 2-8 Praetors. Administered civil law at Rome and were governors (military commanders and high judges) 1 year term, except for 6 judges 2 year term • 2 Aediles. At least 1 pair had to be plebian. In charge of holidays, games, city upkeep, regulation of markets, and grain supply • 2-40 Quaestors. Financial officers and administrative assistants in charge of Roman Treasury, and were military quartermasters sometimes

6. 2-10 Tribunes. In charge of protecting life, and property of plebeians. Had right to veto. (Tiberius Gracchus) • 2 Censors- Elected every 5 years to conduct census, enroll new citizens, control public morals, and revise contract protocol (18 month term) Highest position usually • Occasionally during times of crisis in the republic, a dictator was elected as a magistrate position. Had complete control. (5 month term) Could be re-elected. (Cincinnatus)

7. Cursus Honorum • The Cursus Honorum were the rules of how government officials could advance ranks. (Cicero achieved “Suo anno”youngest possible achievement, and achieved “Novus homo”, no ancestors as consul.) • To run for government, a male citizen had to be of senatorial status • First, had to serve 10 years in Army, at least 5 had to be in cavalry. (min. age 16 for plebs/patr) • Then could run for quaestor. (Min. age 30 for plebs/patr.) Could re-run for all, not consecutively • Had to wait one Quaestor term in between running for Aedile • Could run for Aedile. (Min. age 36 pleb./patr.) • After holding position of Quaestor or Aedilecould run for Praetor (Min. age 39 pleb.patr.) • After being Praetor or Consul, you were required to serve one term as governor, or provincial ruler. (Min. age for both) Exceptions were granted during shortages • After that you could run for consul top magistrate over Senate. (Min. age 40 for patr. 42 for pleb.) • After consul you again had to serve a term as governor, if you hadn’t already done so, after Praetor. • The final step of the Cursus Honorum was the title of censor Top magistate.(Min. age for patr. 42, and for pleb. 44) • If a dictator was chosen, it was usually a previous censor. But exceptions were made during shortages. Min age- (44, 46)

8. Senate • The Senate was comprised of former magistrates (Min. age 32 for both) Weren’t allowed to leave Italian peninsula without special permission from consul. • Once elected to a magisterial position, a Senate seat was guaranteed • No fixed number of Senate members, at beginning was 300 patricians • Senate meetings held in the pomerium on Capitoline Hill • No meeting could take place within a mile from pomerium • Senate voted on laws and various other things brought forward by magistrates • A law could only be voted on when no other senators had questions, or two senators, or a magistrate and a senator did not want to debate • After a decision was voted on it became law, Tribunes could veto law, • If that occurred it had to wait 24 hr. to revote • Senate could not pass laws by themselves • But, Senate could appoint governors, and make • war decisions, and decree “sentatus consulta” or give • advice that a certain magistrate was expected to use • Religious offerings before meeting • Senate gained more power towards end of republic

9. Power of the Roman People • Considering that the Roman Republic was a very ancient civilization, they allowed a lot of power to be held by their citizens. • Although, qualifications to obtain citizenship were restricted, the citizens were allowed to run for office, and vote. And were even allowed to have disagreements with their leaders. • The Roman people had the ability to run their own country, and to choose how their country was ran. • This type of government was not seen again, in most parts of the world until the late 1700’s.

10. Legislative Branch • Three committees made up the Legislative Branch (All passed new laws and reformed old ones) • Comitia Curiata: • Made of 30 curiates, usually former magistrates, or current Senators (Min. age 50) Elected for life • Effectively controlled by patricians • Made sure senior magistrates and Senators gained most power with imperium , imperator title, and with witnessing the religious ceremonies before Senate meetings • Comitia Centuriata: • 3 year term • 193 centuries elected into office-Could be as young as 27 w/ no prior • Named after a centum, or a 100-man army unit • In charge of declaring war with other nations • This committee hired and trained diplomats to make war, peace, and other deals with other nations • Comitia Tributa: • 18 patricians, 17 plebeians. Made up of selected praetors, Quaestors, tributes, and senators • Convened to create laws to be passed, voted on at Senate Meeting, special cases, voted on without them.

11. Judicial Branch • The Judicial Branch consisted of 6 pairs of special Praetors: • These six special Praetors would be determined by seniority • If there were more than 6 pairs Praetors (8 pairs maximum) they would be appointed as governors, or military commanders, during their term as Praetor • If there were less than 6, Senate members based on seniority filled the position for the 1 year term • These special 6 Praetors were known as the “High Judges” of all of Rome and served 2 year terms • These high judges determined whether or not a law was fair, but they could not veto it, they could just send it back for revision • Most laws were passed through the Judicial Branch without need for revision, just like the U.S. and its Supreme Court • High Judges also wrote the rules for their justice system, which determined the fate of criminals, and captives of Rome. (Such as crucifying enemies, burning conquered settlements, throwing Christians into lion pits etc.) Universal throughout all of Roman lands. • They revised the Roman justice system over time • Being a high judge was considered an extremely high, and even holy honor to the Romans.

12. Elections • The Romans did not believe that one man gets one vote. • Rather they divided citizens eligible to vote into the curiate, centurie, and tribute committees • Voting was based on a tribe by tribe, centurie by centurie basis • The voting order was randomly selected, and the patricians always voted before the plebeians • Elections, or as the Romans called them the Passing of the laws or “transitus legus” was made by a majority of tribal/centurie votes, so the citizens elected people to elect their leaders, an extreme republic • If the majority of the tribal/centurial committee’s votes counted towards one candidate or law, that law was passed or candidate elected • The Romans thought that this was efficient, because they wanted experienced men to elect their true leaders • If citizens were unhappy with a tribal/centurie committee’s choice, they could choose to elect different representatives to the council (Reverse plebiscite) • Voting was done in the town’s forum • Magisterial voting by committee’s representatives were either done in the pomerium in Rome or sometimes in the Roman Forum • Voting by Senators or magistrates either in Forum or pomerium. For people to see what was happening

13. Benefits/Disadvantages • Benefits: • Since Tribal/Centurial Committees would be electing the true leaders of Rome, skilled veterans of the Roman government would be making these decisions. • Things could get done more quickly and efficiently (like appointing a dictator for a 5 month term in a crisis, won’t have to worry about getting in the way with a lot of the policy, like today with bad economy) • Disadvantages: • The Romans were very exclusive on who could be a citizen • The Romans were also very exclusive on who could vote • The magistrates of the Roman Republic had a lot more power than the elected leaders we have now • The citizens couldn’t directly vote their own leader • There was a lot more corruption in the government, because they never wrote a single Constitution, that outlined exactly what their government was, which allowed rules and policies to constantly be changed • You had to serve in the Army for at least 10 years before running for office • There was unequal representation in office between plebeians and patricians

14. Similarities and Differences to our Government • Similarities: • Executive Branch • Judicial Branch • Senate • Judicial Branch • Limits on Terms • Only allowing citizens to vote • Operating out of a central location • General operation of Senate • Representatives to vote on laws • Political Terminology • Architecture of Government Buildings • Wore Clothing to Show political position (toga/suit with political pin) • Differences: • Unequal representation in government because of varying socioeconomic factors • Exclusion of citizenship eligibility • Not allowing citizens to directly vote for their leaders

15. From Republic to Empire • The Roman Republic lasted from 508 B.C. to 27 B.C. • We can tell that it was very affective because it endured for 481 years as the official type of government for the Romans. • But new times demanded reform in the government system, so in 27 B.C., it was replaced with the Roman Empire. • The almost 500-year old Roman Republic became corrupt, plagued with civil war, political in-fighting, greedy, illegal deals, and most of all the citizens were dissatisfied with the Senate’s progress, towards fixing the current economy. • So the Senate and Consul appointed the former censor, Julius Caesar as temporary dictator of Rome. • Caesar fixed the economy, and made peace with Rome’s enemies. At the end of his term, he refused to give up his title of dictator, he was able to do this because the majority of Romans supported him • Caesar was murdered because of this, but Caesar’s supporters killed the murderers and Caesar’s adopted son Octavian, took the title of Augustus Caesar, emperor of Rome. This is the day the Roman Republic ended. • The Roman Empire endured for over a 1,000 years, and Rome was at its peak during this time period. • Julius, and Augustus Caesar similar to Napoleon, Hitler, and maybe even U.S. in 2012, with current events going on. Could this happen to us? Conspiracy

16. Sources • http://www.utexas.edu/depts/classics/documents/RepGov.html • http://www.roman-colosseum.info/roman-empire/roman-republic.htm • http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_pennellhistoryofrome11.htm • http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_did_the_Ancient_Romans_hold_elections • http://www.bible-history.com/rome/RomeThe_Republican_Government.htm • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursus_honorum • http://history.howstuffworks.com/ancient-rome/patrician-and-plebeian.htm • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Senate#Senate_of_the_Roman_Republic • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_citizenship