5.4 Republic in Crisis Flashcards
problems?
Senate, (300 men) was the main gov power
nobiles
- circle of powerful patriceian and plebeian families who controlled magistrates and senate (oligarghy and used wealth and intimidation to control rome)
optimates
- group of aristocrats that wished to maintain their oligarphical priveledges (their enemies are the populares)
populares - a group of aristocrats who believed aristocrats should use the olographical priveldges for people’s best interests
farmers
- when farmers returned to the farms after the 2nd punic war, they were destroyed by Hannibal
- aristocrats are buying the farms with slaves working for them
- these estates called LATFUNDIA, focused on growing cash crops
- farmers moved to the city, very unstable and have no property
what are the reforms of the gracchi?
tiberius gracchi said Rome’s problems are because of the decline of farmers because the LATFUNDIA relies heavily on slaves
- convinced a council of plebeins to take away some aristocrats’ land and give it to landless farmers
(assassinated)
then hiis brother (gaius) pushed for rights for farmers and equestrians (growing group of new wealthy romans who want political power)
- both divided large estates across landless farmers
- limited the size of landholdings
- tried to bypass the patrician senate, which opposed proposals illegally
- tiberius illegally seeks re-election as tribune (leader of people) and later is asssassinated
- gaius is assassinated 10 yrs later (declared an enemy)
marius and sulla?
After 2nd century bce, people became unhappy with oligarphical senate, allowed a equestiran named Marius to take power as a cosol
- marius defeated northern africans and celts in 5 yrs
- made military reforms, more power in each general
- the general gave soldiers land for their service (loyalty to rome and stuff)
sulla
- a general leading the war in asia minor
- council of plebieans try to give marius the position
- there was a civil war, sulla won and returned political power to the senate
