The Impact of the Senate and Significant Individuals in the Fall of the Roman Republic Between 78 - 49 Bc
As Sallust stated, “Greed destroyed honor, honesty and taught men to be arrogant and cruel. Ambition made men false. Rome changed.” The Roman Republic was critically weakened between 78 and 49 BC. The underlying flaws within the structure of the Senate and the republic itself, political corruption and violence and the formation of the first triumvirate, which should not have been permitted under the democratic state, all contributed to its decline. Manipulating these decaying social and political conditions were significant individuals, who, despite the efforts of the senate, rose to prominence and power, which culminated in Civil war.
The structure of the Republic and its underlying flaws, shown through individual actions, was integral to the weakening of the Roman Republic. This government consisted of two factions; the Optimate and the Populares. The Optimates were traditionalist politicians, who supported the republic and wished to minimize the power of the popular assemblies and the Tribunes of the plebs. The Populares represented the people and relied on the legislative assemblies and the Tribunate to gain power. The senate tended to side with the Optimates as there key interests coincided. They were perturbed with the idea of individuals rising through the assemblies, backed by their armies and the Tribunate. When Pompey wished to secure land for his war veterans in 62 BC, the senate blocked him, as they did not want him gaining power and challenging them. This relates to the relative power of the Senate and the assemblies. The senate could pass decrees in the form of advice. However if this conflicted with a law passed through the assembly, it would override the senates decree. The Senate had tried to undermine this power; yet, was restored under the consulships of Caesar in 59 and Crassus and Pompey in 55. As the republic declined, individuals used the tribunes and the assemblies for their personal gain. This is how Pompey and Crassus passed laws,
The structure of the Republic and its underlying flaws, shown through individual actions, was integral to the weakening of the Roman Republic. This government consisted of two factions; the Optimate and the Populares. The Optimates were traditionalist politicians, who supported the republic and wished to minimize the power of the popular assemblies and the Tribunes of the plebs. The Populares represented the people and relied on the legislative assemblies and the Tribunate to gain power. The senate tended to side with the Optimates as there key interests coincided. They were perturbed with the idea of individuals rising through the assemblies, backed by their armies and the Tribunate. When Pompey wished to secure land for his war veterans in 62 BC, the senate blocked him, as they did not want him gaining power and challenging them. This relates to the relative power of the Senate and the assemblies. The senate could pass decrees in the form of advice. However if this conflicted with a law passed through the assembly, it would override the senates decree. The Senate had tried to undermine this power; yet, was restored under the consulships of Caesar in 59 and Crassus and Pompey in 55. As the republic declined, individuals used the tribunes and the assemblies for their personal gain. This is how Pompey and Crassus passed laws,