Dignitas In The Roman Republic

INSERT INTRODUCTION

During the Roman Republic (509-27 BC), the Roman constitution attempted to distribute power between numerous political offices in an attempt to prevent a return to a monarchy where all control was retained by one individual (as was the case in 6th Century BC). In the Roman Republic, the position that held the most power was the consul. This role shared many similarities with that of a king. In order for a Roman politician to reach the heights of a consulship of high offices, they needed to meet certain prerequisites. For example, all Patricians had to be at least 40 years of age, whereas Plebians had to be at least 43. This requirement was based on the belief of the Roman people that an older age correlated to greater

Caesar conceded that “his Dignitas had ever been clearer to him than that of his life” (H.H Scullard Page 122). This shows the emphasis Roman men put on the idea of Dignitas and how much it meant to them. The reason for this was that one’s Dignitas directly influenced what office one could realistically attain. The entire idea of Dignitas is one of the many aspects of the Roman Republic that is absent from today's politics. This seems to be directly connected with how someone runs for office in contemporary times. Often politicians will attach themselves to a political party, this leads to the idea of ‘towing’ the party lines. This can restrict politician’s ability to express their personal opinion which in turn decreases their reliance on having personal prestige. If one ran for office in the Roman Republic, then he would not be able to run under a party. Rather, he would be running as an individual candidate. Voters would only be able to judge by the candidate on their previous achievements. These could include what was done in previous positions such as building public wards, hosting of games and military