Roman Republic Government

• Lesson 2 covers the government of the Roman Republic.
• Key vocabulary includes veto, consul, magistrate, senate, and constitution.

Important Vocabulary

• Veto: To cancel an action of a government official or body; in Latin, it means "I forbid."
• Consul: One of the two top officials and military leaders in the Roman Republic.
• Magistrate: A government official who enforces the law.
• Senate: One of the branches of Roman government.
• Constitution: A system of rules and principles by which a government is organized.

The Roman Republic

• A unique system of government lasting 500 years.
• It facilitated Rome's expansion from humble beginnings to the conquest of the Mediterranean world.
• Served as a model for other governments
• Remained the most successful and long-lasting republic until modern times.

Principles of Roman Government

• The Roman government was structured by a constitution.
• The Roman constitution was unwritten and based on tradition, custom, and a collection of laws.
• Rule of law dictated everyone, including elected officials, had to follow the law and could be tried for violating laws.
• Separation of powers meant more than one person had power, and each had different duties.
• Checks and balances: Power was divided among three branches: magistrates, assembly, and senate, forming a tripartite government.

Separation of Powers and Consuls

• The main idea of the Roman government was separation of powers.
• The Romans wanted to avoid being ruled by a king, so they established rules to prevent anyone from becoming too powerful.
• This system worked for centuries.
• Power was limited by splitting offices between two or more men.
• Instead of one top leader, they elected two leaders called consuls.
• Each consul held equal power and could veto the other's actions.
• The Romans limited the consuls' term to one year.
• This was due to the belief that even a powerful official should not hold power for too long.
• Consuls were part of the magistrates branch of government.

Checks and Balances

• Rome had a tripartite government where each of the three branches had its own powers.
• Each branch could check or stop another from misusing its power.
• Although no branch had total power, the senate was often the most powerful.

Three Branches of Government

• Magistrates: Elected officials who enforced the law and judged cases; the two most powerful were the consuls.
• Assemblies: Groups of adult male Roman citizens who passed laws and elected magistrates.
• The Senate: Composed of wealthy, important citizens who helped pass laws and controlled foreign policy and government money.
• Assembly: Any free adult male could join; it was the democratic part of the government, but the votes of the rich counted more.
• Assemblies elected officials, passed laws, and checked the power of other branches.
• Magistrates: Rich men from elite families who were elected, often from families of magistrates.
• They acted as the "monarchy" of the government, with the two most powerful, the consuls, controlling the military.
• Senate: Worked like an oligarchy, composed of older, rich Roman men chosen by the censor and usually retired magistrates.
• It did not represent the people but guided the state, controlled spending, and was the most powerful branch.

The Race of Honors

• Roman politicians usually followed a path from lower to higher offices.
• Quaestors: Kept track of public money and assisted other officials.
• Praetors: Judged cases, led armies, and governed the city of Rome.
• Aediles: Maintained city buildings and services like the water supply, and staged celebrations.
• Consuls: Led the state and the military.
• Tribunes of the Plebs: Protected the plebeians and could veto laws and the actions of other officials.

Citizens of Rome

• Only free Roman men were citizens.
• Women and slaves were non-citizens and had no role in government.
• Citizens wore a toga as a sign of citizenship.
• Citizens had rights, including the right to trial and to vote.
• Adult citizens had the responsibility to pay taxes, serve in the military, and serve in Roman courts.

Roman Citizens: Rights & Responsibilities

• Rights included the right to trial and the right to vote for any adult citizen.
• Responsibilities included paying taxes, serving in the military, and serving in Roman courts as witnesses, jurors, or judges.
• Roman culture emphasized civic duty.

Social Classes

• Patricians: Members of the oldest, typically wealthy families in Rome who believed they should control all government offices.
• Plebeians: The majority of Romans, not from famous old families, typically farmers or artisans, though some were wealthy.
• Plebeians forced patricians to open up political offices to them through strikes during important wars.

Roman Dictators

• In ancient Rome, a dictator was regarded as a hero and an important public official, unlike the modern meaning of a harsh tyrant.
• Dictators were voted in by the senate during emergencies to address specific crises, usually military related.
• Dictators held complete power, but only for a limited time of six months maximum.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus

• Cincinnatus was a historical figure who became a Roman legend for his devotion to his country.
• In 468 BCE, he was called upon by the Roman senate to save a surrounded Roman army, and left his plow in the field to go to war.
• He defeated the enemy in one day and returned to his farm after the emergency.
• George Washington's contemporaries thought of him as an American Cincinnatus.

Roman Influence on the United States

• The Roman government significantly influenced the United States.
• The United States modeled a great part of its government after the Romans.
• Example of this influence include the right to vote and run for office.
• Another example of this influence is the three-branch government with separate powers, checks and balances, and separation of powers.
• The Rule of Law and the President's ability to veto a law.
• A difference: the Romans didn't have a written constitution.
• Though both used forms of democracy, the US strictly uses representative democracy.
• Women can be a part of the US government, while the Romans didn't allow women to be a part of their government.