Civil Wars: The Rise And Fall Of The Roman Republic

Final Essay- The Fall of the Roman Republic From the fall of the last king of Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, in 509 BCE, to the beginning of the principate in 27 BCE, the Roman Republic thrived as a strong and relatively stable government. This was despite its two major issues that eventually led to its downfall- the class struggle between plebeians and patricians as well as the autonomy the military had that allowed for armies to become loyal to its commander rather than the Roman state. For centuries, these issues were kept under control and the Republic was able to grow throughout the Western world. However, starting with more radical figures such as Tiberius and Gaius Gracchi and continuing to Sulla, Pompey, and Caesar, these

“Tiberius and his brother Gaius were regarded in Roman tradition as the initiators of the revolution which led to the breakdown of the Republic.” (Roebuck, 1966:506)

The fall of the Roman Republic was caused by the expansion of Rome, and it’s class tension, the ruling of Julius Caesar, and all things that followed Julius Caesar’s

The Roman Republic was created as a result of Rome’s early and tyrannical kings. This new democratic system was supposed to balance the power between two consuls and the senate in order to prevent any one person from controlling the entire population. It also aimed to ease relations between the

The later Roman Republic and early Roman Empire controlled most of modern day Europe through Northern Africa to Asia Minor. This time of complete dominance over much of the known world propelled Rome into a new era of wealth and prosperity that allowed Romans to look past military expansion. The Roman state now turned towards betterment of society and the “craving for a good education.” Education was seen not only as a tool for the furthering of personal careers, but as a way to improve Rome. Education passed along virtue and the skills necessary to run the Republic and early Empire. This knowledge began in the home, transferring from father to son through the role of fathers as paterfamilias or head of household. Fathers were in charge of ensuring the best possible education for their sons in hope that they would further the ideals and goals of a glorious Rome. Education, through the different steps of the informal Roman education structure and through the influence of the father, furthered the ideal of Roman virtue and ensured generations of virtuous leaders.

Some policies and institutions of the Roman Republic were useful to help them succeed in conquering first Italy and then the Mediterranean world. Before of the institution of the republic, the romans were a monarchy since their beginning and they were basically a pastoral people. Rome suffer several changes and improvements under the control of the Etruscan kings. The Etruscan were civilization settled north of Rome in Etruria, and they once had control over almost all the Italic peninsula. The Etruscans influences in Rome were profound, they transformed Rome from a pastoral community to a city (91). The Etruscan built the street and roads that help the development of temples, markets, shops, streets, and houses. They basically brought urbanization to Rome. It is fairly to say that the Rome republic was a fusion between the elements of the Etruscan civilization and the Rome elements. The combination of the different political institutions and policies made the Romans succeed in their conquest territories.

Fall of the Roman Republic By Ryan Anderson Arguably the greatest contribution to the eventual downfall of the Roman Republic was the institution of Gaius Marius' popular, yet dangerous reforms, and his repeated usage of questionable political tactics to achieve his underlying personal goals. By undermining the power of the senate through illegal political conduct, and by introducing reforms that created the open potential for abuse of military power, Marius paved the way for future military monarchies, civil conflict and the eventual downfall and segregation of the Roman Republic.

Over a long course of time the Romans had many different forms of government. From oligarchies to dictatorships Rome had experience with most forms of government. With all of these happening so far in the past many questions are asked today. One of the most talked and quested forms of Roman government is the Roman Republic. The Republic of Rome is normally thought to be a democracy. But an extremely common question still arise. This questions is whether the Roman Republic was truly democratic. In a simple answer the Roman Republic was a democratic government.

Much like we see in daily in the media, power struggle has been a problem of humanity in many situations, and the Roman empire was no exception. The Roman Empire as a world power, extended its reach across parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia; however, the wars of conquest came with a price and especially effected the lie legionaries who had gone for years and where forced to sell their lands upon returning home (McKay, 110). After losing their lands many of the veterans were unable to find employment and would follow any leader until Gaius Marius recruited some of them to fight in Africa in return for land, however, the senate or the state refused to support Marius’ promise (McKay, 111). These events were one of the first destabilizing factors

1. The Roman Republic was a “democratic” republic, which allowed first citizens to vote, and to choose their governors in the senate (Hence, their consuls). However, it was a nation ruled by its aristocracy, and, consequently, the entire Republic`s power was concentrated in a few individuals. Furthermore, the Senate was controlled

The Roman Government was a very powerful government that was able to maintain and help the empire grow for around two thousand years. Before being an auspicious Republic, the Roman Empire was ruled by Etruscan kings. However, there were many Romans that weren’t pleased being ruled by a king, so in 509 B.C, the last king was thrown out from his position and this is when the Roman Republic initiated. The government also controlled solid army that helped them maintain the empire. Apart from this, as the empire grew, the government also built an excellent infrastructure for people to live in. The Roman government was a very successful government because of all the time that they were able to maintain an empire and because of all their accomplishments

Chalking up the fall of the Roman Republic to a decline in traditional Roman morality, while not false, sells the events and changes that were the causes for the fall of the Republic short. At the end of The Third Punic War with Carthage we arguably see the Republic at

Roman Military The Roman Republic and the Roman Empire together lasted for over one-thousand years,and at its height, their extensive territories stretched from the Atlantic Ocean in the West, to the rivers of Mesopotamia in the East, and from the Sahara desert in the South, to the River Rhine in Northern Europe. The one factor that made this spectacular feat possible was the exploits of the Roman Military. The military had succeeded in their expansion campaigns and had successfully defended the borders against foreign invaders for centuries. The fact of the matter was that the Roman Military was the deciding factor in any successes or failures the Roman state incurred, and at its most basic element, it was ultimately the successful strategies and doctrines of the Roman Army that made their victories so pervasive. This paper will trace the development of the military from the early Roman period through the Marius ' reforms, with an emphasis placed on the primary battle formations and tactics employed by the Roman Legions.

The roman republic came into existence at the termination of the Roman kingship in 507 B.C.E. The last king of Rome, Tarquin the Proud, was expelled by Collatinus and Brutus, as a result of his arrogance involving the matter of one of his relations raping the wholesome Roman matron Lucretia and her subsequent suicide. The rape of Lucretia was really a representation of the frustration that the roman citizens felt regarding the kingship. The later kings had little regard for roman values and the roman populus, which they used as something of a slave labor force. Brutus and Collatinus became the first Roman Consuls, elected by popular vote.

RISE OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC Rome became a powerful empire engulfing much of Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia and what seemed like this great entity called the Romans were always in the search of more territory and land to conquer and assimilate into their ever growing vast empire. However, this was not always the case, before Rome became one of the greatest empires in all of history, Rome was a republic. They were government consisted of a Senate who much like our country today represented certain classes of the citizens of the Republic. During the growth and rise of the Roman republic conquering neighboring territories and competing for land grabs was not Romans primary objectives. Romans