The aristocracy (wealthy class) dominated the early Roman Republic.
In Roman society, the aristocrats were known as patricians. The highest
positions in the government were held by two consuls, or leaders, who
ruled the Roman Republic. A senate composed of patricians elected these
consuls. At this time, lower-class citizens, or plebeians, had virtually
no say in the government. Both men and women were citizens in the Roman
Republic, but only men could vote.
Tradition dictated that patricians and plebeians should be strictly
separated; marriage between the two classes was even prohibited. Over
time, the plebeians elected their own representatives, called tribunes,
who gained the power to veto measures passed by the senate.
Gradually, the plebeians obtained even more power and eventually
could hold the position of consul. Despite these changes, though, the
patricians were still able to use their wealth to buy control and
influence over elected leaders.
The Roman Senate
The history of
the Roman Senate goes as far back as the history of Rome itself. It was
first created as a 100-member advisory group for the Roman kings. Later
kings expanded the group to 300 members. When the kings were expelled
from Rome and the Republic was formed, the Senate became the most
powerful governing body. Instead of advising the head of state, it
elected the chief executives, called consuls.
Senators were, for
centuries, strictly from the patrician class. They practiced the skills
of rhetoric and oratory to persuade other members of the ruling body.
The Senate convened and passed laws in the curia, a large building on
the grounds of the Roman Forum. Much later, Julius Caesar built a larger
curia for an expanded Senate.
By the 3rd century B.C.E., Rome had
conquered vast territories, and the powerful senators sent armies,
negotiated terms of treaties, and had total control over the financial
matters of the Republic.
Senatorial control was eventually challenged
by Dictator Sulla around 82 B.C.E. Sulla had hundreds of senators
murdered, increased the Senate's membership to 600, and installed many
nonpatricians as senators. Julius Caesar raised the number to 900 (it
was reduced after his assassination). After the creation of the Roman
Empire in 27 B.C.E., the Senate became weakened under strong emperors
who often forcefully coerced this ruling body. Although it survived
until the fall of Rome, the Roman Senate had become merely a ceremonial
body of wealthy, intelligent men with no power to rule.
Occasionally, an emergency situation (such as a war) arose that
required the decisive leadership of one individual. Under these
circumstances, the Senate and the consuls could appoint a temporary
dictator to rule for a limited time until the crisis was resolved. The
position of dictator was very undemocratic in nature. Indeed, a dictator
had all the power, made decisions without any approval, and had full
control over the military.
The best example of an ideal dictator was a Roman citizen named
Cincinnatus. During a severe military emergency, the Roman Senate called
Cincinnatus from his farm to serve as dictator and to lead the Roman
army. When Cincinnatus stepped down from the dictatorship and returned
to his farm only 15 days after he successfully defeated Rome's enemies,
the republican leaders resumed control over Rome.
The early Roman Republic often found itself in a state of constant
warfare with its surrounding neighbors. In one instance, when the Romans
were fighting the Carthaginians, Rome was nearly conquered. The people
of Carthage (a city in what is today Tunisia in north Africa) were a
successful trading civilization whose interests began to conflict with
those of the Romans.
The two sides fought three bloody wars, known as the Punic Wars
(264-146 B.C.E.), over the control of trade in the western Mediterranean
Sea. In the second war, Hannibal, a Carthaginian general, successfully
invaded Italy by leading an army — complete with elephants — across the
Alps. He handed the Roman army a crushing defeat but was unable to sack
the city of Rome itself. After occupying and ravaging Italy for more
than a decade, Hannibal was finally defeated by the Roman general Scipio
at the Battle of Zama in 202 B.C.E. Hope You Like My Answer!:)
