Roman Republic Vs Roman Empire

The Roman republic and the United States have both similarities and differences. The roman republic and the United States have both a strong government that are composed of many branches. The roman republic "government was headed by the Roman senate and two elected officials called consuls". "The aristocracy (patricians) wielded more power than the bulk of the population, the commoners (plebeians), leading to ongoing tension between social classes". The plebeians had more power than any other branch.

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.

A republic, like Rome, moves at a maddeningly slow pace. Legislation is put through a system of checks and balances where rivals debate ad nauseum over proposed policies. In a perfect world, this ensures that only which is most beneficial for the state and her peoples becomes a reality. A Tyrant, however, can accomplish a great deal in only a short amount of time. A good leader, like Augustus, can propel his people forward unhindered by the chains of a republic. The Roman people, according to Tacitus: “prefered the security of the current regime to the dangers of old” (Yardley 2008, 3). Even if it lacked freedom, many were willing to submit to an empire if it meant stability and security.

The Roman Republic and the Roman Empire both made advancements in the way of life, but both ended with their own conflicts and civil wars. Both kingdoms lasted about the same amount of time making it difficult to distinguish which one was greater. They both show times of great conquest and demolishing civil wars. The two were similar in their expansion of land, language, and resources. At the same time, they were very different with their views on government, religion, and leaders (Compare and Contrast the Roman Republic with the Roman Empire).

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.

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.

Was Rome more of a Republic or Empire? In a sense, Rome was a both a Republic and Empire throughout different times in history. At first, Rome was very much a Republic. It had no one leader and instead had many different elected representatives. The people of Rome could voice their opinions and influence the government. However, with the fall of the Republic, Rome soon became an Empire with only one leader. This leader, or emperor, usually did whatever they felt like and did not have to listen to those around them. Historians considered Rome to be a Republic at around 509 BC.

Not only did the Italian city-republics differentiate themselves from their Roman predecessors in terms of how they came about, but their governments ran differently. While there were certainly elements of similarities between the two eras, there were considerable differences. To start, it is important to lay out the basic foundations of the Roman republic. The Roman republic was incredibly intricate and convoluted to the point that it would take forever to parse out the exact inner workings of each system of government. As such, just the bare bones of the Roman government are necessary to learn from. In essence, the Roman republic can be described in modern terms as a system of checks and balances. The government was predicated on the single principle that too much power should not reside in the hands of one man. No one organ of government could act completely alone. “To execute any act of government, a number of magistrates or other organs must concur” (Finer 396). Each body was divided and had specific powers delegated to it, which will be described more in detail later. The powers were not as simple as legislative, executive, and judicial as most modern people experience government today. Instead, each of the various powers of the three modern branches were even further divided into different governmental organs. The fascinating thing about the Roman republic, however, is in how it slowly morphed into what it eventually became. Instead of the American top-down approach

The Roman Republic and the Roman Empire highly differ in their political structures. The republic: created in 509 BCE. was a form of representative democracy. It consisted of 2 consuls of which were appointed by the senate and then voted on. These consuls were the head officers and the were appointed for one year. The senate was one of two legislative bodies comprised of 300 senators and 10 tribunes who were all patricians. The other body was knows as the tribal assembly and was made up of plebeians who met in a forum to vote on things such as consuls.

The Greece and the Roman empires are considered to be amongst the most powerful empires in history as their impact is still felt some 2000 years after they were conquered. The Greece Empire is said to have lasted for approximately 350 years while the Roman Empire is said to have lasted for between 500 and 1500 years based on how one interprets the rule of the Romans (Ahbel-Rappe 530). Over time, there has been a debate on which of the two empires was strong than the other based on the impacts to the ancient world. From the debates, it has been noted that some individuals hold on to the fact that the Romans managed to develop a world that the Greeks only dreamed about while others have maintained that the Greeks had built a better world than the Romans (Roisman 410). Based on my knowledge of the two empires, I think the Romans were better than the Greeks thus making the Greeks to dream of building a world similar to that of Romans. As such, this paper will give points for and against my claim.

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.

As Rome became independent from the Etruscan ruling, its government walked away from having a monarch and transformed into a Republic as a way to avoid the tyranny that many times comes with an absolute autocrat. Rigorous precautions were taken from the start in order to keep the power balanced. Moreover, the structure of the government was meant to be resilient to bad judgment. The structure of the Roman Republic with its government and law provided for a more just system.

Ancient Rome consisted of two main forms of government, the Republic and the Empire, each of which lasted about five centuries. At first, Rome was a republic, governed by members of wealthy classes. As the Republican form of government continued, a series of civil wars led to the breakdown of the system, and a new form of government, the Empire, was established in its place. The Empire began with a prolonged period of peace, the Pax Romana. However, like the Republic, the Empire also turned foul and collapsed after the Pax Romana. Still, a citizen of the Empire was better off than a citizen of the Republic. Health problems were less severe in the Empire than in the Republic. Moreover, the Empire was more peaceful and better able to provide necessities for average citizens than the Republic was. The political situation was also better in the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire generally provided a healthier and higher quality of civic life than the Roman Republic.

There are many factors that show the differences between the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. With the many differences there are also some similarities between the two governing systems. A obvious difference is the time period the Roman Republic and Roman Empire lasted. A obvious similarity is they both occurred in Rome.

Since its collapse, historians have attempted to explain the struggle for power and control over both the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire that followed. To explain the complexities of the Roman Republic, the Empire, and their political complexities can be a daunting task. For nearly ten centuries Rome would rule most of the known world before the fall of the Western Empire (Byzantine) in 476 C.E. Before that fall occurred, a fundamental change would take place that would transform the original Republic into the Roman Empire. Many factors would be directly and indirectly responsible for this transition. These would