Monarchy is defined as ‘a form of government with a monarch at the head’ and was the first arrangement of power in Rome after its founding by Romulus, who reigned from 753-715BC.1 However, by 510BC, the despotic actions of Tarquinius Superbus marked the end of a succession of increasingly tyrannical kings, and the ‘Roman Republic’ was established. This system was based on a sharing of power between, foremost, two consuls who were elected by the people and held office for only one year, then 300 senators, and two popular assemblies, the comitia curiata and the comitia centuriata. With such a spread of auctoritas, the Roman state would be at less risk from corrupt men with their aims set on an autocratic rule. The precepts of the Roman republic were honourable and upheld, in the most part, until the civil wars of 91BC onwards disturbed it, culminating in what many would consider the fall of the Republic, and thus the establishment of a monarchy, with Augustus at the battle of Actium on 2nd September 31BC.…
Many do not know that Rome started out as a small village and was taken over. The invaders added a government and so Rome was transformed from a village to a republic. Since Rome had a government, they now needed a military to protect themselves. With this new military come a need for a new kind of government. For years, the government had been a senate of three hundred and two consuls, one for financial and similar stuff, and the other for military. A military consul named Julius Caesar saw this and took action. He knew that the republic didn't want another king so he said that he was better than a king, he was an EMPOEROR. Emperor was just a fancy term for king. To get the support to become an…
The Romans began a republic which had a 2 consuls, a senate, assemblies, and officials. The consuls were similar to modern day presidents but stayed in office for only a year. The Senate led religious events and foreign policy. It also was in control of the revenue. Roman senate consisted of the wealthy men. The assemblies were created so the people other than the wealthy could have their say in the government. However the people in the assemblies had to be full citizen males, meaning no foreigners or slaves. Roman republic officials did have decent authority but there laws were made to ensure they did not get too much power, leaving more of it to the wealthy. Rome was also centralized, because of its location and saw many migrations and invasions, from Po River people and those in Sicily. At 44 B.C. Rome became an empire, led by an emperor, with senators, advisers, and of course the massive army. Over time, the Roman army became more and more powerful. When Romans would conquer and expand they would normally devastate that area. Eventually, Rome became a military monarchy. Rome then split its empire in two, having a emperor in the west, and another in the east.…
At first early Rome was ruled by kings and in 510 B.C Romans agreed that a king would never rule them again. The last king was the most unpopular because he ruled in the worst way. His name was Tarquinus. He ruled without telling the council his ideas. He also put to death anyone he pleased. The Romans drove Tarquinus out of Rome.…
First you have Augustus who was adopted by Julius Caesar. Augustus was able to appease the appetite for power of the Senate by making Rome a Monarchy disguised as a Republic. Augustus controlled the army, The Senate, he could veto all legislation and could impose judgment and punishment on any citizen and he himself was immune to from arrest or punishment. Augustus also put in place reforms that made Rome more efficient, reorganizing the Senate, recruiting wealthy commoners for government service, dividing Rome into districts, he put together Rome’s first police and fire departments as well as building a system of aqueducts to provide the public…
As the age of the Greeks was coming to an end, a small kingdom in central Italy was gaining power and growing. During this time, Rome was not yet the Rome as we know it today. In 753 BCE the Kingdom of Rome was founded on a hill top right next to the Tiber River. This kingdom lasted for around 200 years until in 509 BCE when the people of Rome overthrew the king and created a republic. Like the Athenians, the Romans also showed pride in their participation in government. However unlike the Athenians the Romans set up a republic in which the people of Rome voted for representatives and those reps then discussed, voted and participated in the government. This in turn meant that political participation in Rome was less direct than it had been in their Greek counterparts but, this in no way stopped the Romans from participation in politics. The Romans believed in one very important virtue. This virtue was called gravitas and it represented the Roman’s seriousness and importance it put toward aspects of life, one of which was politics. The Romans felt that being involved in government was a civil duty that all Romans must know about it. The people of Rome felt this way because they did not want to revert back to the time when they were ruled by kings. Unfortunately the era of the republic began to fall as a cycle of violence ensued. Rome was in constant chaos at this time and as shown throughout…
The government that Rome had was an Empire, that means the emperor decides what to do to the people, the law, or anything that makes him pleased but won't cause a crisis. When Rome became an empire, it meant that Rome had dynasties or states under a single ruler, usually an emperor or empress. After the fall of the Roman Republic, their emerged Rome's absolute ruler named Augustus, or Octavian. At that time, the Romans wanted to recover their great republic, and Octavian had told them he would restore the power of the Senates and the Roman people, but at that time, Octavian already was the emperor in complete control. Roman emperors had a role in Rome's daily life as well.…
-as romans took over more places and people they adjusted their institutions to the task of ruling an imperial capital city and distant places. Rather than having kings they installed 2 consuls or chief magistrates who would hold office for 1 year. This radical move from kingship to republic was accompanied by measures designed to prevent a return to one-man rule. Personal authority in the republic was constrained by a strict term limit on magistracies.…
One of the most notable reasons for the political corruption of Rome was the loss of public system for electing emperor. For instance, "The choice was always open to debate between the old emperor, the Senate, the Praetorian Guard, and the army"(Fall of the Roman Empire). Rome never followed an effective system to determine the election of new emperors. They just choose the new emperor by their current wishes. Little by little, the Praetorian Guard took over the complete jurisdiction of choosing the new emperor. Greedy Praetorian Guard only considered their good. By the 186 A. D, they began to sell throne to the bidder who would pay the most. They didn 't care about whether the bidder had the ability to lead or not and they ignored the development of the whole Rome. They just wanted to gain money and keep wealthy. It threatened the stability and the safety of Rome with crippling central authority. The centrifugal force overflowed among Romans and it was difficult for ethnic harmony and national unity. It rendered that Romans lack the sense of security and the determination of defending the country deep down in their heart. The Rome gradually lost popular support. During the next 100 years, Rome was characterized by turbulence and intranquility since there were 37 emperors once dominated Rome for a while. Too much power seized by emperor made more and more Romans…
Ancient Rome was first governed by kings but it developed its own form of government that allowed the Romans to govern themselves. Citizens of Rome would gather at an assembly to elect their own officials. The chief officials of Rome were called consuls and there were two of them. The consuls governed for a year. If they did not live up to expectations, they could be voted out of office at the next…
The early Roman Republic will always be remembered for its revolutionary government. Citizen-elected leaders who represented both the rich and the poor worked together for the well-being of the country as a whole. After the decline of the Empire began, however, politics in Rome became less and less respectable. The emperor, who was at one time chosen fairly and based on merit and potential as a leader, was now being given away on other terms. The Praetorian…
The upper house, Senate, was exclusively controlled by patricians, the upper class of Ancient Rome society. The lower house, the Centuriate Assembly, has a huge representation by the plebians even though it was still technically heavily influenced by the patricians. Similarly, our nation's policy making rests on the Senate and Congress, with both houses counteracting one another to ensure that not one house exercises greater power than the other. In addition, in modern United Stated, a well-established, well-organized government consisting of the judicial, executive and legislative branches provided checks and balance. Nevertheless, elitism was a prevalent phenomenon in the ruling class of Ancient Rome, much like the current American elite politicians yielding vast political power.…
According to legend, Rome was founded in 752 B.C. when Romulus ascended the throne as the first king. Unlike many monarchs, Roman kings could not pass down their crown to a relative. New kings were selected by the community leaders called patres and then had to be approved by the populous, the Roman soldiers who made up the Curiate Assembly. The patres also served as advisors to the king, helping him govern, and formed the group known as the Senate. The King had many duties, including commanding the army, handling foreign affairs, issuing laws, and serving as…
The Roman Empire’s vast territory made the empire difficult to rule and maintain, which was exacerbated by the incompetence and inconsistency of the emperor’s authority. The Roman’s system of electing an emperor was never near effective; the decision was open to discussion between the senate, the old emperor, the Praetorian Guard, and the Roman Army. The power of selecting the emperor eventually fell to the Praetorian Guard (the emperor’s private squad), which would be given more authority by the emperor, maintaining an endless cycle. At one point the Praetorian Guard would auction the title of emperor to the highest bidder. At a period of 100 years the empire would elect 37 emperors, 25 of whom were murdered. The internal turmoil of the Roman government resulted in the depreciation of national pride and faith in the government, which ultimately sponsored the empire’s decline and final…
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election. As provided by the United States Constitution, each of the 435 members of the House of Representatives represents a district and serves a two-year term. House seats are apportioned among the states by population. The 100 Senators serve staggered six-year terms. Each state has two senators, regardless of population. Every two years, approximately one-third of the Senate is elected.…