Political System

Question 1

What is the council of elders?

Answer 1

Elder from the word “senex” from where we get senate (and senile)

These senators were called patricians, related to the word father “pater” (more wealthy)

Everyone else was called plebians, latin word “plebs” (poor in the early stage, but become very wealthy and powerful)

“imperium” = the right to command

The senators gave to the king “imperium”

Kings were not hereditary

Question 2

What is the story of Lucretia?

Answer 2

“suburbus” = arrogant, Tarquin the Proud

The rape of the Roman wife Lucretia by the son of Etruscan king of Rome, because apparently he couldn’t stand the idea of such a virtuous woman (and then she kills herself ‘cause she punishes herself)

Her subsequent death led to have been trigger for the foundation of the Roman Republic

Tarquinius Collatinus (her husband and Brutus avenge her death, apparently liberated Rome from this oppressive king

“rex” (king) is a bad word to the Romans

Question 3

“Cursus honorum”

Answer 3

“sequence/ladder of political offices”

Greatest wish of a young man in the senatorial class was to clim the ladder and be elected as consul (you’d have to dream really big to be censor or dictator).

Question 4

Quaestors

Answer 4

Treasurers/administrators of the state’s money

Question 5

Aediles

Answer 5

oversee:
city markets
merchandise
food supplies

hold games:
- chariot races
- gladiator
- animal showing

…funded by the state but not enough money so the aediles would invest their money to make the games more interesting in order to be elected again.

Question 6

Praetors

Answer 6

arbitrator of legal disputes, administered justice in the city

Question 7

Consuls

Answer 7

Safety of the people (ha ha), supreme commanders of the legions, and administrator of all public affairs

Question 8

Censors

Answer 8

regulate the morals of the people, took the census and record ages/children/slaves/property value of all citizens. Put people in categories (super hierarchical as usual) and would place you in the army in the proper category (like trumpeter, ect.) Censors were elected every 4 (or 5 in Roman counting), unlike every year for the other seats.

Question 9

Dictator

Answer 9

magistrate with more power than any other magistrate and able to perform capital punishment. Temporary fix to a crisis, had to step down after 6 months or sooner if crisis was resolved.

Question 10

Tribunes of the plebs

Answer 10

Protect against violence towards the plebs. Again it relates to the struggle of the orders. Cannot be a patrician in this role.