The Roman Republic began in 509 BC after the overthrow of the monarchy. It was a government system with checks and balances, three branches of government, a senate, and an assembly. The two consuls were the most powerful politicians, controlling the army and administering the government. The senate managed finances and foreign policy, while the assembly included plebeian citizens who could vote on issues and choose the consuls. The Republic lasted for almost 500 years until the Principate era of the Roman Empire.
The Roman Republic denotes a particular era in Roman history which began in 509 BC when the Roman monarchy was overthrown by Junius Brutus and a republican form of government was established. This new form of government headed by two elected consuls emphasized a system of checks and balances and the establishment and separation or autonomy of three branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. Under the Roman Republic, a senate and an assembly were also established. Rome’s republican rule lasted for almost 500 years until a series of civil wars resulted in the Principate or the initial era of the Roman Empire in about 27 BC.
The most powerful politicians of the Roman Republic were the two consuls who controlled the Roman army and who were elected by the assembly for one year terms. Consuls were members of the senate as well as patricians or members of Rome’s noble elite. Consuls selected all members of the Roman senate and essentially administered all aspects of government by supervising other officials and representatives. The consuls could not only act as judges, but also had the power to choose and install a dictator for a six-month term if necessary. As a check on the authority of the consuls, any decision taken had to be taken unanimously as both had veto power.
All 300 members of the senate of the Roman Republic were patricians like the consuls. Senators were appointed for life by the consuls and approved by the other members when the polls opened. Only consuls could remove a senator from power. The Roman Senate managed the budget and finances of the Republic and dealt with foreign policy. The senate issued decrees called senatus consultum which served as advice to the consuls who frequently followed these mandates.
In addition to the senate, the Roman Republic also included an assembly which included any plebeian citizen. A plebeian was anyone born into the lower or non-noble classes of Rome. The assembly, unlike the senate, did not have its own building but instead the plebeians met in the Forum or the main shopping center and market to debate for or against a cause and also to vote on the day’s issues. Although the senate could block most decisions of the assembly, including whether or not to declare war, it was the assembly that chose the two senators who would serve as consuls. Consequently, any senator wishing to be consul had to enlist support and express sympathy for the plebeians.
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