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AHR Julio Claudian Emperors and the Breakdown of the Late Republic > 2.1 The Form of the Constitution > Flashcards

2.1 The Form of the Constitution Flashcards

1
Q

What does SPQR stand for?

A

Senatus Populusque Romanus (Senate and the people of Rome)

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2
Q

What are the three groups in the Roman state?

A
  • Senate
  • People
  • Magistrates
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3
Q

What was the role of the Senate in the Roman Republic?

A

The Senate advised magistrates and controlled state expenditure

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4
Q

How many members were in the Senate by the late Republic?

A

600 members

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5
Q

What is a senatus consultum (SC)?

A

An opinion or piece of advice from the Senate, not a law

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6
Q

What was the cursus honorum?

A

A sequence of political offices held by aspiring politicians

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7
Q

What is the minimum age to be elected as a quaestor?

A

Thirty years old

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8
Q

What were the responsibilities of an aedile?

A
  • Public buildings
  • Streets and markets
  • Food supply to Rome
  • Certain games
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9
Q

What was the primary function of a praetor?

A

Judicial, presiding over the standing law courts

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10
Q

What powers did consuls possess?

A
  • Preside over senatorial debate
  • Command armies in times of crisis
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11
Q

Who could be elected as tribunes?

A

Only plebeians

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12
Q

What power did tribunes have to protect citizens?

A

Their person was sacrosanct and they could veto proposed laws

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13
Q

What are the three assemblies of the people in the Roman Republic?

A
  • Comitia centuriata
  • Comitia populi tributa
  • Comitia plebis tributa
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14
Q

How was the comitia centuriata organized?

A

Into 193 centuries of voters, subdivided into seven classes by wealth

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15
Q

How many equestrian centuries were there in the comitia centuriata?

A

Eighteen equestrian centuries

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16
Q

What was the voting process in the comitia centuriata?

A

Each century voted, and the majority vote of the century was brought forward

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17
Q

What distinguished the comitia plebis tributa from the comitia populi tributa?

A

Comitia plebis tributa excluded patricians and was presided over by a tribune

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18
Q

How many tribes were there in total for voting purposes?

A

Thirty-five tribes (four urban and thirty-one rural)

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19
Q

What was considered legal largesse in the context of Roman assemblies?

A

Gifts of dinners and money to fellow tribesmen

20
Q

Was it legal to distribute gifts to members of another tribe?

A

No, that was considered bribery

21
Q

What should have existed among the Senate, magistrates, and assemblies?

A

A balance of power

22
Q

True or False: A magistrate could propose laws directly.

A

False, they typically used senatus consultum and assemblies for that

23
Q

Fill in the blank: The position of _______ was responsible for defending the people against magistrates.

A

Tribune

24
Q

What was the major change Sulla made regarding tribunes?

A

Curbed their authority to propose legislation and hold political office

25
Q

What was the significance of the Gracchi and Marius in Roman history?

A

They established precedents highlighting the need for change

26
Q

What was the prestige associated with holding office in Roman society?

A

Individuals coveted top jobs for military prestige and wealth from defeated foes

27
Q

What are amicitiae and factiones in the context of Roman politics?

A

Amicitiae are alliances among senatorial friends and families, while factiones are factions that may be temporary and changing

28
Q

How did individuals seek to hold onto power longer than allowed by the system?

A

Through nepotism or forming alliances

29
Q

What are the two main political groups in Roman society?

A
  • Optimates
  • Populares
30
Q

What is the literal meaning of ‘optimates’?

A

‘Best people’

31
Q

According to Cicero, what characterized populares?

A

Those who sought to please the crowd (populus) and used the people’s power for their advantage

32
Q

True or False: Cicero presented a fair and unbiased view of the optimates and populares in his speech.

A

False

33
Q

What did Sulla establish in the legal system of Rome?

A

Seven standing courts (quaestiones perpetuae) for specific crimes

34
Q

What was the primary role of patrons in Roman society?

A

To represent the interests of their clients, who were often reasonably well-off

35
Q

What was the status of the majority of the population in Rome?

A

80-90% were poor, often reliant on hand-outs from the rich and the state

36
Q

What was ager publicus?

A

Public land that Roman citizens could use but not own

37
Q

What was Tiberius Gracchus’ land reform proposal in 133 BC?

A

To redistribute ager publicus and reaffirm a 500 iugera limit on land possession

38
Q

What did Gaius Gracchus propose to extend citizenship to?

A

The Latin people and grant Latin status to the rest of Italy

39
Q

What significant actions did Gaius Gracchus take during his tribunate?

A
  • Re-affirming trial rights for the death penalty
  • Establishing a corn dole
  • Changing jury composition for provincial extortion cases
  • Establishing overseas colonies
40
Q

What was the senatus consultum ultimum (SCU)?

A

A decree empowering magistrates to take up arms to defend the state

41
Q

Who was Marius and what was significant about his consulship?

A

An accomplished soldier who became consul in 107 BC and challenged the Senate’s role in military command

42
Q

What change did Marius implement regarding military recruitment?

A

He recruited soldiers from the lowest property classification, previously exempt from military service

43
Q

What was the outcome of the alliance between Marius and Saturninus?

A

Saturninus proposed a land bill benefiting Marius’ veterans, leading to violence and political chaos

44
Q

Fill in the blank: The poor citizens of Rome were generally referred to as the _______.

A

plebs urbana

45
Q

What were latifundia in Roman agriculture?

A

Large estates farmed by slaves, often acquired from conquered lands

AHR Julio Claudian Emperors and the Breakdown of the Late Republic (9 decks)

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