GOVERNMENT IN ANCIENT ROME
Initially, Rome was ruled by kings, with Romulus being the first. After only 7 kings had ruled, the Roman people decided to govern themselves and so its own form of government was developed. Despite having a fearsome army that enslaved thousands of people, the Roman government was democratic. The people would gather together to discuss which officials to elect. In the Roman government there were two consuls who were elected as the chief officials. The consuls would lead for a year and if they were not liked they would be ousted in the following election, however if they were liked, they could stay in office.
Other elected officials within the Roman government included tax collectors, magistrates and judges. These individuals worked together to lead the Roman people, and retain order. There were also a special group of government officials called the ‘Tribunes of the People’ who would help look after the Roman poor. Furthermore, there was a senate which was composed of about 600 of the most knowledgeable and wise people in Rome, many of whom were from rich and noble families. The senate would advise the counsels about things such as laws, financial issues and proposed developments.
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Although the senate’s decisions favored the rich mainly because most members of the senate were from rich families and thus they could influence decision-making, the lower classes did not question the set up. Additionally, whilst the senate was in power, Rome grew in power and size and so few people wanted the set up to change.
However, as Rome increased in power, having a governmental position became increasingly sought after. As a result, numerous Roman men aimed to get involved with the government. However, many of these ambitious men wanted Rome to be ruled by a single man, as opposed to groups of elected officials. They wanted Rome to be ruled by an emperor. Julius Caesar is one example of a man who wanted to control all of Rome and its empire.
However, if Caesar became the sole roman ruler and Emperor, it would have marked the end of the Roman governmental system at the time. Many people were opposed to change and so one day when Caesar was making a speech with regards to his belief that a one-man rule of Rome would be best, Caesar was murdered. However, the murder only sparked more problems because Caesar’s supporters started a civil war which ended up being very long lasting and extremely expensive. After many years, most of the Roman people ended up agreeing with the proposed one-man rule, in part because they were tired of war, and in part because Caesars supporters had grown in strength. As a result, Augustus, Caesar’s nephew who was seen as a strong ruler became emperor in 27 BC, which marked the end of the republic of Rome. |
The Roman Empire was governed by an autocracy which means that the government was made up of a single person. In Rome, this person was the emperor. The Senate, which was the dominant political power in the Roman Republic, was kept but the senate lacked real political power, and so made few real governmental decisions. The Roman Empire was characterised by imperial administration, and had a hierarchy of magistrates and provincial governors. After Augustus, most of the Roman emperors came up through the military after using their power in the army to become powerful and secure their rule.
The Roman Empire continued for many years, but in A.D. 395 the empire split into two parts. One part of Rome was stayed in Rome whilst the other moved to Constantinople. Following this split, Rome lost power and the Western Empire fell apart in A.D. 476. The Eastern Empire lasted for nearly a thousand years longer, but never became the power house that Rome was in its hay day.
The Roman Empire continued for many years, but in A.D. 395 the empire split into two parts. One part of Rome was stayed in Rome whilst the other moved to Constantinople. Following this split, Rome lost power and the Western Empire fell apart in A.D. 476. The Eastern Empire lasted for nearly a thousand years longer, but never became the power house that Rome was in its hay day.