Why Did The Roman Republic's Demise?

Numerous reasons contributed to the complicated process of the Roman Republic's demise. But if we were to pinpoint one thing that contributed more to its downfall than the other, it would be the Roman elite's growing inclination toward personal ambition and the breakdown of political institutions. This element ultimately contributed to the Republic's demise by undermining the checks and balances that were essential to its operation (Bobertz, 2022). A fundamental characteristic of the Roman Republic was its form of governance, which aimed to avoid the consolidation of authority into the hands of a solitary figure. With a Senate that provided advice to the consuls, many assemblies representing diverse societal groups, and two consuls sharing executive authority, the Republic included a
Therefore, the Republic's common interest started to be eclipsed by individual ambition and the pursuit of personal riches (Democracy in turbulent times, 2021). Powerful military leaders like Julius Caesar and Pompey emerged, and this was one of the most prominent instances of how personal ambition undermined the Republic. These leaders gained a great deal of political clout and influence as a result of their military prowess and public backing. According to Bobertz (2022), they took use of their positions to subvert the Senate's authority and influence the political process via manipulation. Many steps may have been taken to lessen the harm caused by this deterioration of democratic institutions. To begin with, it would have been imperative to fortify the political system's accountability and transparency framework. Shifer (2021) suggests that tighter campaign finance restrictions, holding political candidates responsible for their acts, and the creation of independent monitoring committees to keep an eye on their behavior might have all contributed to this