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The Roman Republic (Latin: Res publica Romana [ˈreːs ˈpuːblɪka roːˈmaːna]) was the era of classical Roman civilization beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establishment of the Roman Empire following the War of Actium.
- Roman Empire
Augustus of Prima Porta. Rome had begun expanding shortly...
- Roman Kingdom
The Roman Kingdom, also referred to as the Roman monarchy or...
- Assemblies
The Curiate Assembly (comitia curiata) was the principal...
- Roman Republic (Disambiguation)
Commune of Rome, an attempt to re-establish a republican...
- Roman Empire
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- Overview
- The early historical record
- Early government
- The expansion of Rome
The Roman Republic was a state that lasted from the overthrow of the last Roman king, Tarquin, in 509 BCE, to the establishment of the Roman Empire, in 27 BCE, when Octavian was given the name Augustus and made princeps.
How was the Roman Republic different from the Roman Empire?
The main difference between the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire was that the former was a democratic society and the latter was run by only one man. Also, the Roman Republic was in an almost constant state of war, whereas the Roman Empire's first 200 years were relatively peaceful.
Was the Roman Republic a democracy?
The Roman Republic was a democracy. Its government consisted of the Senate and four assemblies: the Comitia Curiata, the Comitia Centuriata, the Concilium Plebis, and the Comitia Tributa. Nevertheless, in emergency situations the Senate and consuls would appoint a temporary dictator to rule for a limited amount of time. The most famous of these dictators was Cincinnatus.
What was it like to live in the Roman Republic?
The early Roman Republic (509–264 bce) and the preceding regal period (753–509 bce) are the most poorly documented periods of Roman history. Historical writing in Rome did not begin until the late 3rd century bce, when Rome had already completed its conquest of Italy, established itself as a major power of the ancient world, and become involved in a gigantic struggle with Carthage for control of the western Mediterranean. The earliest Roman histories were brief résumés of facts and stories, but gradually historians embellished the sparse factual material (such as the list of annual magistrates from the beginning of the republic onward, religious records, and the texts of some laws and treaties) with both native and Greek folklore. Consequently, over time, historical facts about early Rome suffered from patriotic reinterpretation involving exaggerations of the truth, the suppression of embarrassing facts, and invention.
Ancient Roman historians initially differed over the precise date of Rome’s foundation. By the end of the republic, however, it was generally accepted that Rome had been founded in 753 bce and that the republic had begun in 509 bce, following the overthrow of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last of Rome’s seven kings. According to tradition, the first six kings had been benevolent rulers, but the last was a cruel tyrant who was overthrown by a popular uprising.
The prevalent modern view is that the monarchy at Rome was incidentally terminated through military defeat and foreign intervention. This theory sees Rome as a site highly prized by the Etruscans (the people of the central Italian region of Etruria) in the 6th century bce. Porsenna, the Etruscan king of Clusium, defeated the Romans and expelled Tarquinius Superbus. Yet before Porsenna could establish himself as monarch, he was forced to withdraw, leaving Rome without a king. Rather than restoring their king, the Romans replaced the kingship with two annually elected magistrates called consuls.
During the early Roman Republic, important new political offices and institutions were created, and old ones were adapted to cope with the changing needs of the state. According to the ancient historians, these changes and innovations resulted from a political struggle between two social orders, the patricians and the plebeians, that began during the first years of the republic and lasted for more than 200 years. The discrepancies, inconsistencies, and logical fallacies in the account of Livy, one of Rome’s greatest historians, make it evident that this thesis of a struggle of the orders is a gross oversimplification of a highly complex series of events that had no single cause.
The two consuls (who had come to replace the king) were primarily generals whose task it was to lead Rome’s armies in war. In times of military emergency, when unity of command was sometimes necessary, Rome appointed a dictator in place of the consuls, who, however, could not hold supreme military command for longer than six months.
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The Senate, which may have existed under the monarchy and served as an advisory council for the king, now advised both magistrates and the Roman people. Although in theory the people were sovereign and the Senate only offered advice, in actual practice the Senate wielded enormous power because of the collective prestige of its members.
During the republic there were two different popular assemblies, the centuriate assembly and the tribal assembly. The centuriate assembly was military in nature; it voted on war and peace and elected all those magistrates who exercised imperium (military power). The tribal assembly was a nonmilitary civilian assembly that elected those magistrates who did not exercise imperium. It did most of the legislating and sat as a court for serious public offenses.
In 451 bce Rome received its first written law code, inscribed upon 12 bronze tablets and publicly displayed in the forum. Its provisions concerned such matters as legal procedure, debt foreclosure, paternal authority over children, property rights, inheritance, and funerary regulations. This so-called Law of the Twelve Tables was to form the basis of all subsequent Roman private law.
During the 6th century bce, Rome became one of the more important states in Latium—owing to the achievements of its Etruscan overlords—but Tibur (Tivoli), Praeneste, and Tusculum were equally important Latin states. Although the Latins dwelled in politically independent towns, their common language and culture produced cooperation in religion, law, and warfare. (This cooperation has come to be known as the Latin League.) The Latin states occasionally waged war among themselves, but in times of common danger they banded together for mutual defense.
Toward the end of the 5th century bce, the Romans began to expand at the expense of the Etruscan states, possibly propelled by population growth. Rome’s first two major wars against organized states were fought with Fidenae (437–426 bce), a town near Rome, and against Veii, an important Etruscan city. Before Roman strength increased further, a marauding Gallic tribe swept down the Po River valley and sacked Rome in 390 bce; the invaders departed, however, after they received a ransom in gold. Forty years of hard fighting in Latium and Etruria were required to restore Rome’s power. When Rome became increasingly dominant in the Latin League, the Latins took up arms against Rome to maintain their independence. The ensuing Latin War (340–338 bce) was quickly decided in Rome’s favour.
Rome was now the master of central Italy and spent the next decade pushing forward its frontier through conquest and colonization. After three wars against the Samnites in the north (the third in 298–290 bce) and the Pyrrhic War (280–275 bce) against Greek towns in the south, Rome was the unquestioned master of Italy.
Soon, Rome’s success led it into conflict with Carthage, an established commercial power in northern Africa, for control of the Mediterranean. The ensuing battles, known as the Punic Wars, spanned the years 264–146 bce. Two great military geniuses were among the leaders in these wars. Hannibal led the Carthaginian forces from about 220 to 200, when he was defeated by the Roman commander Scipio Africanus the Elder. The Romans occupied Carthage and eventually destroyed it completely in 146.
The defeat of this powerful rival sustained the Romans’ acquisitive momentum, and they set their sights on the entire Mediterranean area. To the east, the Romans defeated Syria, Macedonia, Greece, and Egypt, all of which had until then been part of the decaying Hellenistic empire. The Romans also destroyed the Achaean League and burned Corinth (146 bce). Won through massive effort and with inevitable losses, the newly acquired lands and diverse peoples populating them proved a challenge to govern effectively. The Romans organized the conquered peoples into provinces—under the control of appointed governors with absolute power over all non-Roman citizens—and stationed troops in each, ready to exercise appropriate force if necessary.
In Rome proper, the majority of citizens suffered the consequences of living in a nation that had its eyes invariably trained on the far horizon. Roman farmers were unable to raise crops to compete economically with produce from the provinces, and many migrated to the city. For a time the common people were placated with bread and circuses, as the authorities attempted to divert their attention from the gap between their standard of living and that of the aristocracy. Slavery fueled the Roman economy, and its rewards for the wealthy turned out to be disastrous for the working classes. Tensions grew and civil wars erupted. The ensuing period of unrest and revolution marked the transition of Rome from a republic to an empire.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Apr 7, 2016 · Contrary to some interpretations, the fall of the monarchy and birth of the republic did not happen overnight. Some even claim it was far from bloodless. Historian Mary Beard in her SPQR wrote that the transformation from monarchy to republic was “borne over a period of decades, if not, centuries.”.
- Donald L. Wasson
- The last Roman king, Tarquinius Superbus was overthrown in 510 BCE.
- The descendants of Aeneas of Troy, the founder of Rome, were Romulus and Remus the illegitimate sons of Mars, the god of war, and the princess Rhea...
- The two classes of Roman citizens were the patricians and the plebeians.
- Aside from the Roman Senate, the two popular assemblies were the Comitia Centuriata and Consilium Plebis (Council of the Plebs). The Comitia Centur...
- The name of the series of wars between Rome and Carthage was called the Punic Wars.
- Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March in 44 BCE.
Sep 25, 2023 · The Roman Republic lasted for about 500 years, from 509 BCE to 27 BCE, and was a period of democracy and expansion for Rome. Learn about its famous leaders, such as Julius Caesar and Augustus, and how they shaped the transition to the Roman Empire.
- Rosie Lesso
The Roman Republic was founded in 509 BC, after the end of the Roman Kingdom, when Rome’s last king, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, was overthrown by the Roman people. One of the first consuls of the Republic was Lucius Junius Brutus.
Oct 19, 2023 · Learn about the period of Roman history from 509 B.C.E. to 27 B.C.E., when Rome was a republican government and a dominant power in the Mediterranean. Find out how the republic was established, how it functioned, and why it fell.
Mar 29, 2011 · Learn how Rome transformed from a republic with democratic institutions into an empire under the control of one man - Augustus - in a hundred years. Explore the causes and consequences of the civil wars, the role of the army and the senate, and the legacy of the Roman revolution.