Rome: From Republic to Civil War

OUTLINE•Royal Rome (753-509 BC)•Early Roman Republic (509-287 BC)•Roman Conquests•Impact of Conquests•Continued Upheaval•Downfall of the Republic

IDENTIFICATIONSImperium

Roman SenateRoman Republic

ConsulPatricianPlebeians

Punic WarsSulla

Julius Caesar

Italy, 380 BC

Royal Rome (753-509 BC)Structure of the Political Order

King (rex)King (rex)– Power of the Power of the imperiumimperium

Senate (Conscript Fathers)Senate (Conscript Fathers)– Main arbiter of powerMain arbiter of power

Centuriate AssemblyCenturiate Assembly– Elects senior magistratesElects senior magistrates– Invests magistrates with Invests magistrates with imperiumimperium

Struggle of Orders (5th-3rd c. BC)

Twelve Tables: codified law, c. 450 BCTwelve Tables: codified law, c. 450 BC Plebeian Assembly, Tribunes of the Plebeian Assembly, Tribunes of the

PeoplePeople Licinian-Sextian Laws (367 BC)Licinian-Sextian Laws (367 BC)

– Established the right of Plebeians to hold Established the right of Plebeians to hold office of Consuloffice of Consul

Hortensian Law (287 BC) Hortensian Law (287 BC) – Plebiscites have the force of law on all Plebiscites have the force of law on all

citizenscitizens

Structure of GovernmentStructure of Government Other Magistrates

– Censors: census and tax functions

– Usually ex-consuls

– Praetors: judicial & military functions

– Quaestor: financial administrator

– Aediles: municipal official

– Lictors: minor officials, carry fasces, not elected

Consuls: 2 elected yearly– imperium

Senate (life terms for 300)– Old royal council, now

advisory body Centuriate Assembly:

tradition of clan and military organization

Plebeian assembly: elects 10 tribunes yearly– veto power, persons

sacrosanct, intermissio

The patron / client relationship was the fundamental relationship governing all careers and social interaction in Rome: Almost all Romans were both clients and patrons

Evolution of the Republic

509 BC: Roman Republic 500-287: Struggle of the Orders 450 BC: Twelve Tables

– Intermarriage permitted– Debt bondage eliminated

367 BC: Consulship open to Plebeians 287 BC: Rise of Tribunes and Plebeian

authority

Roman MagistraciesRoman Magistracies

Consuls: 2 elected annuallyConsuls: 2 elected annually– Exclusively from the patrician class Exclusively from the patrician class

until 367 BCuntil 367 BC– Held power of the Held power of the imperiumimperium– Chief executives of RepublicChief executives of Republic– Eponymous-the year they served Eponymous-the year they served

bears their namesbears their names– Usually achieve office at age 35-40Usually achieve office at age 35-40

Praetor—judges and military officersPraetor—judges and military officers– Often rule various aspects of society, i.e. Often rule various aspects of society, i.e.

governors of territories and of Romegovernors of territories and of Rome– Reach office at age 30-35Reach office at age 30-35

Aediles—in charge of city servicesAediles—in charge of city services– Grain supply, water, weights & Grain supply, water, weights &

measures, city watch, entertainmentmeasures, city watch, entertainment– Reach office at age 25-30Reach office at age 25-30

Quaestors—financial and tax officialsQuaestors—financial and tax officials– Reach office at age 20-25Reach office at age 20-25

Censor—former consulsCensor—former consuls– Elected every five years to take censusElected every five years to take census– Establish eligibility of senatorsEstablish eligibility of senators

Fasces: Symbol of State AuthorityFasces: Symbol of State Authority

Tribune—officer of the Plebian Tribune—officer of the Plebian AssemblyAssembly– Had to be a plebeianHad to be a plebeian– Ten elected annuallyTen elected annually– Responsible for protecting rights of Responsible for protecting rights of

the peoplethe people– Can veto (“I forbid” in Latin) any act of Can veto (“I forbid” in Latin) any act of

Senate deemed harmful to popular Senate deemed harmful to popular interestinterest

– ““intercessio” authority to intervene intercessio” authority to intervene between citizen and magistrate to between citizen and magistrate to prevent abuse of powerprevent abuse of power

– Sacrosanctity: person of Tribune Sacrosanctity: person of Tribune inviolateinviolate

Organization of theOrganization of the Early Roman RepublicEarly Roman Republic (509-287 BC) (509-287 BC)

Senate selected (by Senate selected (by censor) for lifecensor) for life

Assemblies (all citizens)Assemblies (all citizens)– Centuriate Assembly (6th Centuriate Assembly (6th

c. BC)c. BC) Organization of the Organization of the

armyarmy– Citizen soldiers (self-Citizen soldiers (self-

armed)armed)– Obligation and right to Obligation and right to

serveserve

The Expansion of RomeControl over Italy 338-265 BC

“All Roads lead to Rome”

Rome’s new territoriesRome’s new territories

Expansion of Roman CitizenshipExpansion of Roman Citizenship– Municipia (sing.=municipium)Municipia (sing.=municipium)

Cities become “friends of Rome” (Cities become “friends of Rome” (socii))

– Latin rights: Latin rights: Protection from enemiesProtection from enemies Must provide soldiers for legionsMust provide soldiers for legions Share in the spoilsShare in the spoils No voting privilegesNo voting privileges

– Civitas sine sufragiumCivitas sine sufragium

Punic Wars

Red: Rome & Roman ConfederationBlue: Territories controlled by CarthageGreen: Carthaginian territories lost in the 1st Punic War

The Punic Wars264-241: First Punic

War starts over Sicily

Naval war: Romans lose at first but devise new tactics to win

Hamilcar Barca leads Hamilcar Barca leads Carthaginian forceCarthaginian force

Carthage pays Carthage pays indemnity of 200K indemnity of 200K pounds of silver,pounds of silver, loses Sicily and Sardinia

Second Punic War (Second Punic War (218-202 BC)

War starts over SpainInvasion of Italy 216-

205 BCRoman losses at Lake

Trasimene (217 BC) and Cannae (216 BC)

Hannibal and Scipio battle at Zama in 202 BC

Macedonian Campaigns (215-168 BC)

Second Punic War, 218-202 BC

Goal to destroy CarthageCato the Censor

“Carthago delenda est”

Carthage must be destroyed)

Conquest of GreeceConquest of Greece

Third Punic War 149-146

Punic Wars

Punic Wars:The Struggle with Carthage

War’s Effects on GovernmentWar’s Effects on Government

How does stratified society maintain political cohesion?

Loss of farms, increase in urban poorInflux of wealth into Rome

SlavesBootyCommercial opportunities in new territories

Constitutional Conflict

Tiberius GracchusTiberius Gracchus– Tribune (133 BC)Tribune (133 BC)

Issue: Land ReformIssue: Land Reform Legacy of PergamumLegacy of Pergamum Killed in riot 132 BCKilled in riot 132 BC

Gaius GracchusGaius Gracchus– Tribune (123-121 BC)Tribune (123-121 BC)

Equestrians emerge as political forceEquestrians emerge as political force Grain subsidy and land redistributionGrain subsidy and land redistribution

Consequences of SuccessConsequences of Success

How do military virtues translate into civilian ones?– 133 BC: Tiberius Gracchus and Populist

Reforms– 2nd BC: Era of Generals

Competition—Sulla versus Marius

Threats to Republican Stability

The Era of the GeneralsThe Era of the Generalsand the Loss of Republican Idealsand the Loss of Republican Ideals

Gaius Marius (157–86 BC)Client Armies

Sulla (138-78 BC)March on Rome: Consul 88 BCCivil War: 83 BCEAppointed Dictator: 82–79 BCSuppression of Traditional RightsProscription (publishing a

notice)

Sulla

Great Generals don’t make Great Great Generals don’t make Great RepublicsRepublics

Gnaeus Pompey (106-48 BCE)adulescens carnifax

Follower of SullaTriumph and Popularity70 BCE: Consul at only 36 years

Defeat of Asia Minor & Seleucid Empire by 62BCE

“Stop quoting the laws to us. We carry swords!”

Mediterranean World, 220 BC

Roman Empire, 52 BC

Late Republic (121-44 BC)

Novus Homo “New Men”Novus Homo “New Men” Gaius Marius (c. 157–86 BC) (c. 157–86 BC)

– Consul (107–100 BC)Consul (107–100 BC)– Client ArmiesClient Armies

Lucius Cornelius Sulla (c. 138–78 (c. 138–78 BC)BC)– Uprisings in Italy (91 BC)Uprisings in Italy (91 BC)– Uprising in Asia Minor (88 BC)Uprising in Asia Minor (88 BC)– Returned to Rome (83 BC)Returned to Rome (83 BC)

Downfall of the Republic Gnaeus Pompey (106Gnaeus Pompey (106––48 BC)48 BC) First Triumvirate (60First Triumvirate (60––53 BC)53 BC)

– PompeyPompey– CrassusCrassus– Julius Caesar (100Julius Caesar (100––44 BC)44 BC)

Rule of CaesarRule of Caesar– Led army against Rome (49 BC)Led army against Rome (49 BC)– Defeated enemies (45 BC)Defeated enemies (45 BC)– Appointed as dictator (48 BC)Appointed as dictator (48 BC)– Extended tenure (45 BC)Extended tenure (45 BC)– Ides of March (15 March 44 BCIdes of March (15 March 44 BC))

Roman Empire, 44 BC

©1997 Grolier Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.Rome, Ancient, 44 BC