Western Civilization is forever indebted to the people of ancient Greece and Rome. Among the numerous contributions these societies made are in the fields of art, literature and philosophy; however, perhaps their greatest gift to future generations was the modern perception of government. The contemporary idea of democracy, while borne out of the political struggles in the city of Athens, came to fruition in the Roman Republic, surviving, despite the constant interference of the emperor, through the Roman Empire. Although the present definition of democracy has changed considerably, one must still recognize its early evolution in that eternal city, Rome.
The Roman government of the old Republic had created a unique system of the division of power which was a safeguard against oppression by any single individual. Power, for the most part, lay with a voting public. While not perfect by any definition of the word, it allowed some of the people to have a say in how their government operated. There were elected officials and a representative body. Of course, as long as there were games, festivals, and grain, the average Roman citizen was happy. Under the emperor, the government changed and the emperor became the ultimate decision maker, he had the last word. Considering the context of ancient times and contemporary forms of government, and taking into account its albeit limited representative elements, Rome must, nevertheless, remain an outstanding example of a successful ancient government.
— CHAPTERS — 0:00 Introduction 0:52 Foundation Myth & Early Government 2:18 Government of the Roman Republic 5:46 Government of the Roman Empire 8:22 Legacy of Roman Government 9:36 Outro
Hello and welcome to World History Encyclopedia. My name is Kelly and today's video is all about
the government of ancient Rome and how it worked. Don't forget the easiest way to support us is by
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down below. According to legend the city of Rome was founded in 753 BCE by the demigod Romulus,
a foundation myth associating government with the gods. The earliest kings of Rome drew their
authority from the myth and Roman religion at this time linked them with the gods. Government
was thereby associated with the divine. The king governed 30 wards known as curiae of the three
tribes of latins and each ward had a representative in an assembly known as the committia curiae
which addressed the people's concerns by bringing them before the king. The committia curiae had
nothing to do with making laws it just let the king know what was going on in each ward. The
senate a group of 100 men of the upper class made the laws in consultation with the king. Between
circa 753 and 509 BCE Rome had seven kings and the monarch had absolute power and could force
those below him including wealthy members of the upper class to do what he wanted. In 509 BCE the
upper class was tired of this and when the son of king Tarquin the proud raped Lucretia a governor's
daughter he was deposed and the kingship abolished. Instead of a king a praetor now ruled appointed
by the senate and responsible to the people and the Roman republic was founded. Disputes between
the lower and upper class known as the conflict of the orders between circa 500 and 287 BCE
led to the creation of a set of laws by the senate in 449 BCE known as the twelve tables
that applied to male citizens over the age of 15 who were members of one of the 30 tribes.
Women were protected under the law through their male relatives but had no voice in government.
Rome had two social classes the patricians the upper class and the plebeians the lower class.
The laws guaranteed that everyone would be treated equally no matter their social class and
these laws were posted publicly so the upper class couldn't pretend something was legal or
charge someone unjustly to benefit themselves. They also established the position of tribune
a representative from the lower class. In time the position of praetor was changed to consul
with greater power but still subject to the senate and there were two consuls elected by
the assembly of the people of Rome for one year terms. Each one had the power to veto the other
one's decisions. The word veto in fact comes from the latin for i forbid it. Consuls did not make
laws or pass judgments they could only act on laws created by the assemblies who were called to meet
by a magistrate. The senate did not make laws they advised consuls and issued decrees based on
laws. In this way the government of the roman republic was formed and eventually codified
into three branches. The legislative branch which was assemblies and senates the assemblies varied
in size and the senate was made up of 300 upper class men who held the position for life.
The executive branch which was consuls two upper class men who ruled for one year and the judicial
branch which was judges eight upper class men who served for one year. The senate consuls and judges
all came from the upper class but the lower class had the right to assemble to choose consuls from
the senate and to block laws that they felt were unfair to them. The assembly which included the
lower class gatherings had no formal meeting place like the senate they usually just meet in the
forum but they could send tribunes to the senate to represent them and this is how they blocked the
laws that they felt weren't in their best interests. Every male citizen of rome had the right to vote
but the upper class who made the rules felt that legislative decisions should be made by those who
Initially the plebeians had no vote at all and even once they gained the right their vote was
counted last. This practice was based on the concept best expressed by Cicero that the greatest number
should not have the greatest power. A concept still in effect in the USA in the form of the
electoral college. The republic also created the position of dictator which had a different meaning
than it does today. A military figure usually a general who was given unlimited power for a
certain amount of time usually six months to restore order during a time of crisis.
Republican Rome steadily weakened first by the civil wars between the generals Julius Caesar
and Pompey the Great and then after Caesar's assassination by the wars between Octavian the
After Julius Caesar defeated Pompey he was made dictator but was powerful enough to extend his
term to dictator for life which caused some senators to fear he was going to return Rome
to a monarchy and so they assassinated him. Octavian and Antony then defeated the armies
of the conspirators and then turned on each other. After Octavian defeated Antony at the battle of
Actium in 31 BCE he re-established order and in gratitude the senate gave him nearly unlimited
power and the title of first citizen making him the first emperor of Rome. Augustus Caesar
transformed Rome from a republic to an empire. He assumed control of every facet of governance
from the appointments of provincial governors to the reformation of the military and the
centralization of the government treasury. A significant innovation under Augustus was the
establishment of a government civil service department to handle administration. This had
not been considered necessary in the early days of the republic but the lack of a governmental
bureaucracy no doubt contributed to the breakdown in administration towards the republic's end.
The government of the empire differed from that of the republic in that it was no longer
a representative republic, it was an autocracy. The assemblies and senate still existed but power
was steadily taken from the assemblies and given to the senate, still manned by the upper class
but lacking its former power. The central difference in government was essentially that
under the republic power was in the hands of the people but under the empire power was in the hands
of the emperor. The emperor could control the senate because the association of the ruler with
the gods had been retained and expanded through the cult of the emperor, also known as the imperial
cult, elevating the emperor to the status of a god. This imbalance of power especially under erratic
and ineffective monarchs contributed to the decline and fall of the western roman empire in 476 CE.
The government of the roman republic served as the model for the founding fathers of the united
states of america just as the potential dangers of an autocracy or monarchy caused them to reject
those models of government. The senate and house of representatives make and decree the laws like
the roman assemblies and senate. The president is the country's leader and commands the army like
the consuls. The supreme court interprets the law and decides cases like the roman judges. The
assembly of the majority of the people in Rome also corresponds to the right to vote in the united
states and also to state governments which represent the interests of that state's citizens.
The roman government in all three of its forms continued to serve as a model long after Rome
fell and has inspired the paradigm for governments around the world for the past 2000 years.
What other legacies of ancient roman government can you think of? Let us know in the comments
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