Henry Ford1 Essay

After Julius Caesar was assassinated, the Roman Republic was overruled and transformed into the Roman Empire. The Republic had many flaws including the fact that it was based on inheritance, it had no genuine voice for the lower class, women, or slaves, and it was not strong enough to govern effectively and keep its citizens happy during endless wars. Ancient Rome only truly became powerful when it became an empire.

Name: ________________ Hum 8/ Ms. Gill Rome at its Height Julius Caesar played a critical role in the events that led to the fall of the Roman Republic, which was governed by a Senate, and the rise of the Roman Empire. The Roman Republic was run by the Senate. The senate passed all laws and collected taxes.

As they continued to expand over hundreds of years their government grew. The Romans army was a great army that was mostly made up of citizen-soldiers they posted these soldiers all around there empire to protect and maintain their state. Over the 500 years that Rome was a republic this type of government helped them maintain their state and allow the citizens, except women to have a voice in who was going to rule their land. The Plebeians the lower class of Rome and which made up most of Rome had little influence on the Senate's decisions. But they had Tribunes to speak for them and could block or veto the Senate's decisions. During these five hundred years Rome had a system like no other of roads that provided efficient means for the overland movement of armies, officials and civilians, and the trade goods. These roads provided a direct route for many goods, and it was a big reason why the Romans empire would succeed for over 500

Have you ever waged war against your wife? Caesar Octavian Augustus did. Augustus was a great leader. Leaders are necessary because they need to show leadership amongst the people and unite the people as one doing anything to keep them safe. Caesar Octavian Augustus was one of Rome’s greatest leaders by showing that at the age of 19, he can rule one of the most powerful nations by any means including war (http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/augustus.html)

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 by Patricians, which directed the government by using wealth to buy control and power over the decisions of the senate and the consuls. This situation aroused the inconformity of the people; as result, a civil war took place in the Republic (destroying it), and then the Roman Empire was born.

It is clear that the dynamics that characterized Rome’s society during the Republic were never easy. There was a constant push and pull of intentions and interests between Patricians and Plebeians. The Patricians always wanting to maintain economic and political supremacy while the Plebeians were in constant

The Roman state at this point could not supply its army with weaponry so it required its soldiers to do so. This slowly changes during the Struggle of the Orders, with middle and lower class citizens having the right to be a part of the army and other reforms were introduced including payment for servitude (Ward, 69). In the following centuries, the republic did not severely reform the military’s enrollment strategy, other than during the latter part of the 2nd Punic War. Scipio was able to convince Roman citizens to volunteer for an expedition to invade Africa. This was the first time the state did not enforce its law requiring soldiers to be property owners (Ward 110), because of the huge losses incurred during the previous battles of the war.

Roman consuls, typically having gone through the cursus honorum, were more than likely effete aristocrats without the slightest skill in military affairs. Marius achieved military success in the war against Jugurtha in North Africa, and his military reforms had made him very popular with his troops. Marius gained loyalty from his troops then he used there backing as a gain for political power.The emperor was too late so he had to change the Roman Republic to autocratic so nobody would oppose of him and the things he was doing and could not gain any power without him giving it to that

     Another problem plaguing the late Roman Republic was the constant revolt of the provinces because of corruption and mismanagement. Under the early Republic, the appointed provincial governors served short terms. Many of these politically appointed governors were either inexperienced or incompetent, so corruption and mismanagement were common practices.(1) The greed of these governors was so intolerable that the population of one province forced the imperial tax collectors to drink molten gold. Augustus reformed the provincial administrative system by creating an imperial civil service

Rome felt under constant threat, at the beginning of the Roman Republic. The Roman Republic was initially ruled by the rich and powerful. This ruling began “After the overthrow of the monarchy, Roman nobles, eager to maintain their position of power, established a republican form of government”(p.129). Later on, this power to the rich would prove chaos. The patricians who “were descendants of the original senators appointed during the period of the kings were great landowners, who constituted an aristocratic governing class”(p.129). The plebeians did not have this power of authority like the patricians did. The plebeians were “constituted the considerably larger group of non-patrician large landowners, less wealthy landholders, artisans, merchants, and small farmers”(p.129). These people could vote with the patricians but could not be elected into office, they could not marry someone out of the patricians and vice versa, it was forbidden for these groups to intertwine.

The Patricians and Plebeian training together made up the Roman Republic. How the plebeians observed it, the patricians have been no higher than the kings, flaunting their wealth, but doing little right for the awful. Unluckily, upon the overthrow of the kingship and the begin of the new republic, the critical victories and power fell within the palms of the patricians. At some point of the time when they were overthrowing the kings, which include Brutus, they started to make new laws and make many political changes alongside the Valerian legal guidelines, condemning anyone claiming to be king as a traitor, the formation of three voting assemblies, and so on, his lot became chains, stripes, and slavery. This brought about them turning into debtors to the patricians that have been lending them money, with very harsh punishments if no longer repay. Having out of place their belongings through the misfortunes of conflict, they had been obliged to borrow money of the rich patricians; and that they were subsequently reduced to the state of affairs of a debtor elegance. The patricians and plebeians had their honest percentage of variations and

Some major stages that took place in the political and military development of the Roman Republic was political wise was when the last king of Republic, “Tarquin the Proud” he was known as, had a son, named Sextus Tarquinius. Sextus Tarquinius who had a thing for another man’s wife and focused her to have sex with him or death would happen in her family change the political system. Out of this a new political system was formed called the Republic. Rome would no longer be ruled under a king but by people for the people. Therefore a mixed government was set, Monarchic, Democratic and Oligarchic (Mattews, Noble, & Platt, 2014).

When the struggle was over, power fell into the hands of the patricians marking the beginning of another struggle- this time between the ruling class (patricians) and plebeians. The plebeians were relegated to lesser class politically, Morey, (n.d.). They could participate in the “democratic process” by voting in the comitia centuriata. However, they were not allowed to hold any of the new offices neither could they sit in the senate, Morey, (n.d.). When they drove the kings out, Rome became a republic but one which was more of aristocratic than democratic, Morey, (n.d.). This means that the political power among others was concentrated in the hands of a particular class (few) instead of the whole people, Morey, (n.d.). This brewed discontent, political discomfort, and discord among the plebeians. The plebeians would have easily (perhaps) submitted to the patrician government if only the patricians would have exercised caution

It was the unification of two classes of Rome (Patricians and plebeians) against the tyranny of kingship that gave birth to the republic of Rome, however, it was the patrician who gained more power and influence in government and began to rule the lower-class plebeians. Eventually the plebeians were successful to change the unfair condition and gain many political rights.

Rome was influenced by many different factor throughout the years. These all played an important part in its expansion and projection of power and influence through the world. The main factors that helped the Roman system survive in one form or the other was the government and the military. These two institutions changed and adapted over time. One major change for the government was the transition from the Roman Republic to the Empire. During the transition and after, the military’s use and role in the Roman system also changed. They helped the Emperor project his power and influence along with expanding and growing the nation. This transition of the government and the military was guided and directed by the great Emperor Augustus. Augustus established a stable political and social system for Rome that lasted for some time.