Roman+Socio-Political+Structure

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HOME __ **Formation of Roman Republic: 509 BC** __
 * Small city of Rome overthrew tyrant king (509BC) to form republic governed by elected representatives of people
 * Goal to give people a voice and limit power of one person
 * Ongoing struggle between social classes

** __Two main social classes__ **
 * 1. Patricians**
 * Rich people from noble land-owning families
 * Held most public offices and voting power
 * 2. ****Plebians**
 * Poor common people, often farmers, craftsmen, or soldiers, making up majority of Roman males
 * Struggle to gain power until 287 BC when allowed to pass laws binding for //all// Romans

**Non-Citizens**

 ­  Under husband’s legal authority || ||  ­  Essential labour: Helped in homes, farms, businesses, engineering projects  ­  Often inhumane treatment by patricians  ­  Usually foreigners (prisoners of war, slaves from conquests), not based on race ||
 * ** Women ** ||  ­  Married into husband’s family—for life
 * ** Slaves **

**__Organization of government__**

**Senate **
 * Powerful council of 300 older //patricians// holding life terms
 *  Entry by birth or rank in early Republic; later consuls nominated new members from former magistrates (consuls, praetors) to serve interests
 * Advised consuls about finances, war, peace, and domestic affairs

**Executive Branch ** <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">M agistrates who enforced laws //1-year term// || ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> //Patricians// running government, daily affairs, army ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Convened Senate, and curiate and centuriate assemblies ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Could veto each other, limiting power ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Could choose short-term (6 month) dictators ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Served on Senate after term ended || //1-year term// || ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Patricians acting as financial officers and administrative assistants || //1-year term// || ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Patricians commanding military and administering civil law at Rome || //1-year term// || ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Plebians and patricians managing streets, religious festivals, police, and public buildings || //1-year term// || ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Plebians protecting lives and property of plebians ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Could veto elections, laws, senate decrees, acts of magistrates ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Convened tribal assembly || //5-year term// || ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Patricians taking census and fixing citizens’ tax status, inspecting morals, dismissing senators || //6-month term// || ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Appointed by consuls in military emergencies ||
 * **Consuls (2)**
 * **Quaestors** (2-40)
 * **Praetors** (2-8)
 * **Aediles** (2)
 * **Tribunes** (2-10)
 * **Censores** (2)
 * **Dictator (1)**

<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">**Legislative** **Assemblies** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">Consisted of citizen committees (comitia) of entire electorate and councils (concilia) of specific citizen groups

//(Comitia curiata)// || ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Oldest unit of organization ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Confirmed appointments of magistrates elected in other committees || //(Comitia centuriata)// || ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Elected consuls, praetors, and censors ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Could declare war ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Wealthy citizens with more weapons had more power ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Judged criminal cases involving death sentences for citizens || //(Comitiia tributa)// || ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> 35 tribes based on geographic subdivisions ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Democratic—each tribe had patricians and plebians voting together ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Elected Aediles, Questors, military tribunes || //(Concilium plebis)// || ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Plebian assembly excluding patricians ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Passed laws affecting only plebians until 287 BC; then decrees effective for all Romans ­<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> Elected tribunes and plebian aediles ||
 * **Curiate Assembly**
 * **Centuriate Assembly**
 * **Tribal Assembly**
 * **Plebian Council**

__­__ **<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);">__Struggle of the Orders__ ** (the orders of society) <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">Patrician class tried to hold onto power; plebians wanted social and political equality
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">**494 BC**: Plebians declared alternative government
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">**450 BC**: Law of the Twelve Tables formalizing and codified Roman law
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">**445 BC**: Plebian could marry patricians
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">**367 BC**: First plebian consul elected, allowing for plebian entry into Senate
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">**300 BC**: Plebians get religious equality; Could serve as priests
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">**287 BC**: Decisions and laws of plebian assembly binding on all citizens of Rome

**Citations**
 * Flower, Harriet. __The Cambridge Companion to the Roman Republic__. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press., 2004.
 * Matyszak, Philip. __Chronicle of the Roman Republic__. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd., 2003.
 * Mantin, Peter and Richard Pulley. __The Roman World from Republic to Empire__. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press., 1992.
 * Murrell, Deborah. __The Best Book of Ancient Rome__. Boston: Kingfisher Publications., 2004.
 * Hooker, Richard. "The Roman Republic." __<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">Rome: The Republic __<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">. 1996. 4 May 2009 <[]>.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'times new roman'; webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">McGill, Sara Anne. "Ancient Roman Government." __Student Research Centre__<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">. 2009. EBSCO Host. 9 May 2009 [|<http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=17960485&site=src-live]>.
 * "Ancient Rome." __Encyclopædia Britannica__. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 7 May 2009 <[]>.