Background of the late republic Flashcards
What was Rome’s government a mix of
aristocratic
democratc
monarchial
aristocratic
ruled by the people/ officials ( i.e. senate)
democratic
ruled by the public (i.e. people)
monarchial
ruled by a king (i.e. consul)
how many consuls were there?
two
how long did the consuls rule for and why?
a year to stop them from abusing their power and and have one man dominating everything
why did the consuls short reign cause problems?
as it was hard for any changes to be made in a year and consuls often had to do radical things to be remembered by the people.
primary function of a consul
general/ military leader
have complete control over the army
what other jobs do the consuls do?
oversee public affairs
introduce embassies to the senate
summon assemblies and pass laws
what do the consuls body guards do?
carry ‘fasces’ in order to symbolise their power to beat and execute the Roman citizens
what is a Tribunes job?
To protect the rights of the people in case the consuls or others are abusing their power. They are outside of the established ladder/ hierarchy. Possess the power to ‘veto’ anything at any time.
What 3 things do the senate have power over?
- They have financial power
- They have judicial power
- They decide on matters of foreign policy
they also form an advisory body to the consuls
About the senates financial power
- they have control of the treasury
- Quaestors cannot issue any public money without the decree of the senate
How many people make up the sentae?
600
What powers do the people have?
vote on lots of things e.g.:
- only people to decide on matters of life and death
- are the ones who elect the representatives of the senate
- decide if they should go to war or not
- have power over passing or repealing law
what are the names of the two social orders of the people?
the patricians
the plebeians
what are the patricians?
Families whose ancestors could be traced back to the early days of Rome.
What did the patricians do?
They were significant land owners who occupied a central and privileged position in all spheres of public affairs - political, religious, legal and military
what are the plebeians (plebs)?
The rest of the citizen body (aka the people who were not patricians)
What did the plebeians do?
In the early days they were excluded from positions of authority in public affairs and viewed as underclass/ lesser.
What changed for the plebeians?
By the first half of the 4th century BC, the plebeians had successfully gained much political, religious and legal equality, in recognition of their military performance and growing need for more capable administrations of the newly acquired territories.
originally, what could the plebs and patricians not do?
intermarry
what was the Roman social and economic crisis?
when the farmer citizens living in rural areas returned from their lives in the army in 146, they found their farms to be run down and in disarray. In an attempt to feed their families, they sold their farms to rich people in the senate and went to Rome seeking work.
Why did the farmers sell their houses to rich senators?
Senators were not allowed to invest in banking or trading- so they used their money on land.
What happened when all the rural farmers came to Rome?
It became overcrowded.
what were equites?
a rank in the Roman class system which grew in wealth and status through occupations in commerce and finance. They, unlike senators, were allowed to be bankers and traders, and therefore took advantage of the great commercial oppetuntiies now available
Why was the social and economic crisis a problem?
There was a vast difference between the rich and poor, indicating change was needed.
res publica
Latin term for the republican set up which replaced the monarchy
SPQR
the senate and people of Rome
What is the hierarchal ladder of offices known as?
cursus honorum
What is imperium?
the ultimate authority including command in war and the interpretation of law.
only people to get this are consuls and praetors
What were praetors?
- second in command to the consuls
- role given to prove you are capable of being a consul
- mini consulship, given a small army you can fight small scale wars with.