The Foundation and Function of the Roman Republic

MEDITERRANEAN PEOPLES HIST 1301 | History The Foundation and Function of the Roman Republic Greek settlers founded colonies in southern Italy and Sicily during the Archaic era, leaving a lasting cultural impact. By around 500 BCE, the Latin-speaking people of central Italy had assimilated much of Greek culture, including the notion that the people ought to have a say in how the state is run. For instance, the citizens of the little city-state of Rome called their state res publica, which translates to "public thing." This was done to set it apart from the previous oligarchical and monarchical rule under the Etruscans, which was known as res privata, or "private thing." Res publica, the source of the word "republic," denoted that public governance takes place in full view of the public. Along with other aspects of Greek culture, the gods and stories were also embraced by the early Romans. Historians like Livy documented the numerous customs the Romans preserved regarding the early history of their republic in the first century BCE. The ideals that the Romans held dear were frequently mirrored in these tales. Roman legend holds that the twin brothers Romulus and Remus, sons of the battle god Mars, built the city around 753 BCE. It was believed that when Remus made fun of Romulus for building a wall around the new city and leaped over it, Romulus murdered his brother. Romans learned to respect private property and borders from this narrative. In order to find marriages for his bunch of creditors and criminals, Romulus invited the nearby Sabines to a celebration where they would be bringing their single daughters and sisters. The ladies were taken prisoner by the Romans; when the Sabines arrived with an army to free them, the women—who were now Roman wives—claimed they had been treated with dignity and that they wanted to stay. After that, the Romans and Sabines united to form a unified city-state. This tale demonstrated that citizenship privileges might be obtained without being a native Roman citizen. It also represented the better social standing of women in Rome than in other ancient societies. They were not allowed to vote or run for public office, but they were allowed to possess property and attend banquets and other public gatherings at will. Roman political concepts are also mentioned in these tales. For instance, they mention that Romulus was the first king of Rome's monarchy throughout its early ages. Following the death of the fourth king, an Etruscan named Lucius Tarquinius Priscus succeeded to the throne. The following two rulers were of Etruscan descent. Rome's last king, Tarquin the Proud, had a son who had sexually assaulted Lucretia, a young Roman lady. The Etruscan king was eventually overthrown by an uprising against the monarchy that was started by this deed. The triumphant Romans proclaimed 509 BCE to be a republic and promised never to submit to tyranny ever more. This tale highlighted Roman deference to the law. Nobody was above it, not matter how strong they were. These stories of Rome's origin appear to have at least some historical basis, based on archaeological evidence. Around the Palatine Hill, where Romulus is said to have constructed his stronghold, a wall was found in 1988. At the same site, archaeologists also discovered Greek ceramics from this era, indicating that trade occurred. Rome is situated beside the Tiber River, which is no longer passable by seagoing ships. Greek traders would have sailed from the Mediterranean Sea up the Tiber, engaging in commerce with the local populations. At this period, Greek colonists and traders arrived in Italy, influencing the Iron Age civilization in northern and central Italy, which in turn gave rise to the Etruscan and Latin cultures via Greek influence. The Etruscans arrived in Rome in 600 BCE, and they established an Etruscan city-state there. This Etruscan era of Roman history is reflected in the Tarquin dynasty's tale. According to modern historians, the tale of the Tarquins' expulsion is partially based on actual events, including as the Roman city-state's liberation from Etruscan rule and the establishment of an independent republic in 500 BCE. Rome's early republic was governed by a Senate or Council of Elders, as well as elected magistrates in place of monarchs. The two groups or orders that made up Roman society were called patricians and plebeians. The aristocratic elite, known as the patricians, were the only ones eligible to occupy Senate seats and hold public office. The plebeians, or common people, fought for equality before the law in Roman society from the start of the republic until the third century BCE. The Struggle of the Orders refers to the political struggle that exists between these two classes. Latium, a coastal plain, was home to Rome. To the east of it were the Apennine foothills, home to warlike tribes that occasionally launched attacks. The plebeians may use their refusal to battle until their demands were granted to gain power over the patricians when Rome was in danger. The plebeians staged their first strike in 450 BCE. They insisted that the laws be put in writing because they thought that patrician judges were using the unwritten laws of Rome to exploit naive plebeians. The patricians concurred. Rome's rules were initially codified in the Twelve Tables, which were made available to all citizens and published in the Forum. Following 450 BCE, the plebeians convened in a Plebian Assembly, which chose 10 tribunes—officials—every year. These tribunes were present at the Senate, the law courts, and assemblies in Rome. They may declare "Veto" or "I forbid" and stop any official or public entity acting in a way that would hurt common people. The veto power provided plebeians with a means of self-defense and a check on the authority of aristocratic rulers. Plebeians gained more privileges by breaking away from the patrician state once more in the fourth and third century BCE. The two consuls, the highest ranking officials in the republic, had to be plebians after 367 BCE. The tribunes gave the Plebian Assembly the authority to enact laws for the republic after 287 BCE, and those laws were applicable to all Roman citizens. Since plebeians could now enact laws, hold elected office, and sit in the Senate on an equal footing with patricians under Roman law, the Struggle of the Orders was essentially over by the third century BCE. But not everyone in Rome experienced equality as a result of the Struggle of the Orders. Instead, it made positions of authority available to wealthy plebeians. Romans were deeply traditionalists who held the "way of the ancestors," or mos maiorum, in high regard. Written laws and political traditions and conventions that had developed since the Republic's founding comprised their political system. By the third century BCE, the Senate, elected officials, and popular assemblies were working together to manage this system. The Plebian Assembly, Tribal Assembly, and Centuriate Assembly were the three principal public assemblies of the Roman Republic that held annual elections for various positions of government. The Plebian Assembly was only open to plebeians, who were divided into 35 geographical tribes and each had one vote. The ten tribunes, who had the ability to reject legislation and propose them to the assembly for adoption, were chosen yearly by this parliament. Plebeians and patricians were both permitted to attend the Tribal Assembly, which was likewise split into 35 tribes according to place of residency. Each tribe was allowed one vote. The Quaestors, who oversee public funds like treasurers, are chosen annually by the Tribal Assembly. The Senate continued to be in charge of foreign affairs, but only the Centuriate Assembly had the authority to declare war. This was a bloc-based assembly that was open to both plebeians and patricians. The amount of centuries—a military unit consisting of one hundred men—that each bloc could afford to outfit with armour and weaponry determined how many votes each bloc received. Because they could afford to spend more to maintain the military, wealthier folks cast more votes. In addition, this assembly chose judges, the censor, and military leaders. The censor's primary duty was to oversee the census, which determined how wealthy Rome's populace was. Following their tenure in office, all elected officials became lifelong members of the Roman Senate. The Senate, by far the most important institution in the Roman state, made decisions on the use of public funds and counselled elected leaders on matters of policy. Since many of them would go on to become senators after leaving office, elected authorities seldom disregarded the Senate's recommendations. Another crucial component of the Roman political structure was the patron-client system. A patron was often a wealthy individual who helped his customers, who were typically less wealthy individuals, with financial and legal matters. As instructed by their sponsors, clients cast their votes in the Roman assembly in exchange. In Rome, patrons might inherit their customers, and those who had a large clientele had considerable sway.