The Roman Republic was often known for its lasting influence for the development of Western political governance and ideals and is often hailed as a beacon of democracy in ancient history. But an in depth look reveals it to be more complex. While the Roman Republic held democratic elements that allowed citizen participation and representation, its political structure was ultimately characterized by a significant concentration of power among the elite and few for the average person. This essay will explore the extent of democracy within the Roman Republic, analyzing key aspects such as the electoral system, legislative bodies, and social hierarchy and the democratic nature and the implications it had on the overall governance of the state.
Many political changes and problems arose within the government after Roman
Despite its name, the Roman Republic was actually quite a mix of both a republic and a democracy. This is said because they used a bottom-up system, allowing even the people with little roles to vote, such as The Assembly. They would vote for their leaders and laws, among other things, as well. One of the main factors in having a republic government is to not have the people involved in selecting leaders, but the Roman Republic did just that. A person cannot say that a republic is a republic if they allow the people to vote because having the people vote is a major part of democracy.
The Roman empire was based on slavery: slavery on a massive scale. Therefore The success and spoils of Roman wars meant that slaves were everywhere putting regular Roman citizens out of work. This solution was not ideal but no rich Romans (patricians) seemed willing to compromise and give up their slaves. Attempts were made to base taxes on the numbers of slaves owned but the rich simply freed their slaves to avoid taxation and then added on still to the numbers of unemployed.
The Roman Empire used to be cutthroat and menacing, but what ultimately ended it? There were military invasions and the Roman army began to lose skill and discipline. There were also corrupt officials in office. Taxes grew and the poor became isolated. There were many elements that brought about the downfall of Rome, but the fundamental reason was the emperors.
The Roman Republic lasted from 509 B.C.E to 27 B.C.E. The Roman Republic was democratic, but not always. Such as when the wealthy took over, it was more difficult to become a Roman citizen, and there was a lot of division in the society. However it was still democratic because they let the majority of legal men vote, even the free slaves later on, the people had a voice, and everyone mainly had a job to do in order to help the community. The Roman Republic tried to be democratic, but then it led to it just being an aristocracy.
The Roman Empire and Roman Republic were two distinct periods in the history of ancient Rome. The Roman Republic was established in 509 BC, following the overthrow of the Etruscan monarchy. It lasted until 27 BC when the Roman Empire was established under the rule of Augustus. One of the main differences between the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire was their form of government. The Roman Republic was a system of government where elected officials represented the people.
The Ancient Roman government kept its government officials from becoming dictators. The Roman Republic had three parts. Most of the government officials had a term limit. The American Democracy has three branches that divide powers. The different branches of government have different powers.
The civilization of ancient Rome was one time the mightiest on the planet. Yet it, like any other civilization, began as one small settlement. The Roman Empire suffered numerous complications in its final years. The late Roman empire was frequently invaded by several barbarian groups, most notably the Huns and Vandals.
It paved a path for the Roman Empire, with the diminishing influence of the Roman republic’s representative republic. Caesar, after taking control over the Roman republic, believed that the Empire system would work more effectively in Rome’s society. Stated by Joshua Mark in “Caesar,” “he [Caesar] initiated the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.” This new type of ruling was called autocracy, which is defined as a system of government by one person with absolute power. This resulting government took a drastic shift from republican ideas into a more absolutist mentality.
The first primary reason why Rome collapsed is that corruption within the government didn’t follow Rome’s original ideology which was having integrity. To start, there was a constant change of emperors during the 3rd Century.
When the Roman Republic reached its peak, it soon started declining. There were many different political, economic, and social problems that developed when Rome surmounted more and more people. All these problems led to a civil war that changed Rome. This civil war transformed Rome from a republic to an empire. There were five main difficulties that Rome faced, and that led to the transformation of Rome.
“Why did the Roman Republic fall?” The Roman Republic did not fall simply from one cause, rather many external pressures that brought on political instability and destruction. There were multiple pressures that lead to the downfall of Rome including ambitious generals, changing politics, client armies, and a desolate Senate desperate to remain prominent. Many significant people of the time, who wrote letters and speeches on ancient Rome, help to build detailed recollections of the political warfare that took place between 78-31BC.
3. Compare and contrast the idea of democracy in Ancient Greece and Rome. Which system was more democratic and why? Democracy is the modern day standard for governmental systems. However up until 500 BCE, the concept of Democracy was a foreign concept, and the great civilizations of that era were run by monarchs, aristocrats, and religious leaders of sorts.
There are many similarities that can be noticed between the American Nation and the Roman Empire such as the same founding of government and both dominated in military, and economic similarities. Rome is famous for their harsh discipline amongst their own ranks and their mercifulness brutality amongst their enemies. Rome warfare was characterized by great ferocity and the roman pursuit of victory was determined. Rome gave many good ideas; the senate was ruled by the people of Rome. The Roman Republic Government was a large complex constitution, which was secure by many checks and balances, so that no man could have complete control.
