Governmental and Legal Structures - Ancient History: Rome

The Roman Republic came into existence in the second-half of the sixth century BCE. Previously, Rome had been governed by a monarchy. It is worth noting that much of the history of this time period is shrouded in myth and legend, but it is generally believed that Rome was ruled by a succession of seven kings, before the last king, Tarquinius Superbus, was overthrown in a violent revolution.

In the early years of the Roman Republic, it was common for poor plebeians to be enslaved by patricians if they accumulated significant debts. This debt slavery was abolished in 450 BCE with the codification of Roman law through the Twelve Tables.

The term interregnum is a Latin term that literally means “between kings.” During the period of time when Rome was ruled by a monarchy, the kingdom would enter a period of interregnum _f_ollowing the death of a king. In the Roman Kingdom, during interregnum, power would devolve to the Senate who would then elect a new king.

A republic is a system of government in which people elect representatives to enact laws on their behalf. It is distinct from direct democracy in that the people do not actually get to vote on issues themselves, but instead appoint representatives. It was the political system which prevailed in Rome from 507 BCE until the rise of the Roman Empire in 27 BCE. It is also the political system which prevails in the modern United States of America.

In the Roman Kingdom, the Senate was responsible for nominating and electing a king. After a king died, the Senate was convened to appoint a new ruler. That ruler would then have to be approved by the people, the Gods, and the Curiate Assembly (a government body under the effective control of the Senate).

During the history of the Roman Kingdom, the Curiate Assembly had the final authority over the appointment of a king. The Curiate Assembly was a government body made up of wealthy patricians and under the effective control of the Roman Senate.

The procedure for the nomination and appointment of a Roman monarch was quite convoluted. First, the Senate had to choose a candidate for the monarchy. Then, that monarch needed to get the support of the people. Next, he had to court the approval of the Curiate Assembly. Finally, a would-be monarch needed religious approval and the reaffirmed support of the Senate. Only after all this would a ruler have the title of imperium conferred upon him and become king.

The patricians exerted political and social dominance over the plebian class for several centuries in Roman history. The plebians would eventually establish their own political offices within the political structure. The other answers are incorrect because they refer to specific Roman political positions fulfilled by individuals, not an entire class of people.

Plebians was in fact the term used to denote the citizen-commoners in the Roman Republic, so that would be the best choice. The Patricians were the ruling class from which the Senate was drawn, so that would not be a good answer. The Third Estate was the term given to commoners in France before the Revolution, so that would not be a good choice. Lastly, the Fourth Estate was a moniker given to the press in the late 18th century, so that would not be a good answer either.

The Patricians was the official name of the ruling class in the Roman Republic, so that would be the best answer choice. The Plebians was the name they gave to the citizen-commoners in the Republic, so that would not be a good choice. Aristocracy was not a term that was in wide use during the Roman Republic and did not refer to a specific facet of their social structure, so that would not be a good choice. Lastly, Bourgeois and the First Estate were terms that were coined centuries after the fall of Rome, so neither of those would be good choices.

Consul was at the top of the cursus honorum - the hierarchical ranking of Republic offices - so that would be the best answer. Senator was a high-ranking office in the Republic but it was not the highest, so that would not be the best answer. Dictator was not an office that was part of the normal hierarchy of the Roman Republic, so that would not be a good choice. Patriarch was not among the official offices a politician could seek, so that would not be a good choice. Finally, President was not an office that existed during the Roman Republic, so that would not be a good choice.

In the early years of the Roman Republic, the government was controlled by patricians (the aristocratic class). The plebeians (the common people) had little power and little protection under the law. Over time, however, this situation changed and the plebeians won, or were granted, more and more political rights.

The Law of Twelve Tables was the first codified legal code in the history of the Roman Republic. It was enacted in 450 BCE. The Twelve Tables were designed to protect the rights of all citizens of Rome and to try and minimize conflict between the patricians and the plebeians.

Patricians were the aristocratic families of the Roman Republic. In the early years of the Roman Republic they controlled almost all of the political power in the city of Rome. But, gradually over time, they lost significant amounts of power to the plebeians (the non-aristocratic class in Rome).

The system of government that emerged under the Roman Republic relied on numerous magistrates to carry out administrative duties. Two notable types of these magistrates are quaestors and aediles. Quaestors were responsible for managing the treasury and for overseeing finances.

As the Roman Republic grew in size and power, more and more magistrates were needed to administer Roman dominion. An aedile was a magistrate tasked with the responsibility of maintaining and constructing roads, keeping the city organized, and ensuring a reliable supply of grain for the city.

A consul was the highest elected official in the Roman Republic. Generally speaking two consuls were elected at the same time, to serve concurrently for a term of one year. Consuls had extensive administrative, legislative, and executive powers.

The Roman Republic occasionally appointed dictators to a position of near-absolute authority in times of crisis or open warfare. These dictators were generally appointed for six months, so as to ensure the continuation of the Republic and to prevent dictators from consolidating their power.

The Law of Twelve Tables, the first codified legal code in the history of the Roman Republic, was enacted in 450 BCE, in the middle of the fifth century. It provided for a degree of equality under the law for all Roman citizens and attempted to bridge the social divide between patricians and plebeians.