Government and Law
Introduction
Rome had two different systems of law: the Monarchy, Republic, and Empire. The area of Rome was first ruled by the Etruscans in the earliest period. That means Rome was under the rule of a monarchy. Evidence points to seven different Etruscan kings ruling Rome at this time.
But around 500 B.C. the Roman aristocrats (rich Romans) gained control over the Etruscans and established the Roman Republic.
Roman Republic
In a republic, the city or country becomes "public" and is no longer ruled by one person only. Everyone shares the leadership. The people in charge were called consuls, and they were two men (women were not allowed as consuls). They had the most power and decided when to go to war, how much taxes to collect, and when to add new laws. They both had to agree on the decision. If one of them refused, or vetoed it (forbid it), then nothing would be done.
The consuls got advice from the Senate, which was made up of men from the wealthy families of Rome (women were not allowed in the Senate either). Most consuls eventually joined the Senate. Senators held their position for life, and were usually from families that had had Senators for a long time. The consuls had to work closely with the Senate and mostly did what the Senate advised.
There were also prefects in Rome, chosen to run the city. Some would be a judge for a day, then run the marketplace the day after.
There were tribunes, who were elected to represent the people (particularly the poor) . They were elected by the Assembly, just like the prefects and senators. They could veto the laws the Senate voted that affected the poor (which ended up being anything the Senate voted on). These too, were all men.
Finally, there was the Assembly, a group of men (again) that represented each section of Rome. They could vote on big issues if the consuls asked them too, and they were the ones who elected the consuls, prefects, and Senators.
During the Republic, the Romans carved out some of their most important laws onto tablets, which became known as the Twelve Tables. Some of the laws may seem odd to us today, but it gives us a glimpse of how life was at the time of the Roman Republic. One law forbade songs that insulted others, while another one allowed gathering fruit that had fallen on another's land.
In the later years of the Republic, the senators began to fight each other, often using violence. As a result, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, consul at that time, was able to seize power of Rome in 83 B.C. Sulla assumed the title of dictator, giving him full power and signalling the fall of the Roman Republic.
Roman Empire
Another leader, Julius Caesar, took control in 49 B.C. and was also named dictator until he was assassinated in 44 B.C.
Eventually, Octavian, Julius Caesar's nephew, introduced a new system, an Empire, and became the first Emperor of Rome in 27 B.C.
This system, where there were still a Senate and consuls, but the Emperor held the real power and his word could not be denied regardless of how his people felt or voted- kept on going for the next 500 years, more or less. They remained a powerful force before beginning to decline. Following the rule of Constantine, the Empire fell. Historians mark 476 A.D. as the year the Empire ended and the Middle Ages began.
Rome had two different systems of law: the Monarchy, Republic, and Empire. The area of Rome was first ruled by the Etruscans in the earliest period. That means Rome was under the rule of a monarchy. Evidence points to seven different Etruscan kings ruling Rome at this time.
But around 500 B.C. the Roman aristocrats (rich Romans) gained control over the Etruscans and established the Roman Republic.
Roman Republic
In a republic, the city or country becomes "public" and is no longer ruled by one person only. Everyone shares the leadership. The people in charge were called consuls, and they were two men (women were not allowed as consuls). They had the most power and decided when to go to war, how much taxes to collect, and when to add new laws. They both had to agree on the decision. If one of them refused, or vetoed it (forbid it), then nothing would be done.
The consuls got advice from the Senate, which was made up of men from the wealthy families of Rome (women were not allowed in the Senate either). Most consuls eventually joined the Senate. Senators held their position for life, and were usually from families that had had Senators for a long time. The consuls had to work closely with the Senate and mostly did what the Senate advised.
There were also prefects in Rome, chosen to run the city. Some would be a judge for a day, then run the marketplace the day after.
There were tribunes, who were elected to represent the people (particularly the poor) . They were elected by the Assembly, just like the prefects and senators. They could veto the laws the Senate voted that affected the poor (which ended up being anything the Senate voted on). These too, were all men.
Finally, there was the Assembly, a group of men (again) that represented each section of Rome. They could vote on big issues if the consuls asked them too, and they were the ones who elected the consuls, prefects, and Senators.
During the Republic, the Romans carved out some of their most important laws onto tablets, which became known as the Twelve Tables. Some of the laws may seem odd to us today, but it gives us a glimpse of how life was at the time of the Roman Republic. One law forbade songs that insulted others, while another one allowed gathering fruit that had fallen on another's land.
In the later years of the Republic, the senators began to fight each other, often using violence. As a result, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, consul at that time, was able to seize power of Rome in 83 B.C. Sulla assumed the title of dictator, giving him full power and signalling the fall of the Roman Republic.
Roman Empire
Another leader, Julius Caesar, took control in 49 B.C. and was also named dictator until he was assassinated in 44 B.C.
Eventually, Octavian, Julius Caesar's nephew, introduced a new system, an Empire, and became the first Emperor of Rome in 27 B.C.
This system, where there were still a Senate and consuls, but the Emperor held the real power and his word could not be denied regardless of how his people felt or voted- kept on going for the next 500 years, more or less. They remained a powerful force before beginning to decline. Following the rule of Constantine, the Empire fell. Historians mark 476 A.D. as the year the Empire ended and the Middle Ages began.