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Roman Senate, Consuls, And Dictators

 

            Upon hearing the phrase "Roman Republic", most people think of a rich, powerful, vast nation with a dictator as the only form of government. Most people are wrong. The government of Rome had three well-known parts. Those parts were the senate, the consuls, and, in certain times, the dictators. In Rome, the rich patricians filled these occupations, until later when the Plebs were allowed to join. Because of the huge state of the Rome's empire, the three main government jobs, the senate, consuls, and dictator, were extremely large and important.
             The senate was the largest part of the Roman government. It was made up of 300 magistrates. An important job of the senate was watching finances. The senate would congregate in a building called the Curia, in the Roman forum. At first birth was what determined who was a senator. " a cross between the British and Canadian senates in that individual members could (eventually) be appointed" (Saywell and Ricker 1) After the fourth century B.C., plebeians, the lower class, were allowed in the senate. It was possible for a senator to be kicked out if he betrayed Rome. After the fall of the empire, the senate lasted, but not for long. After 450 A.D., the senate was only there for show. .
             The title of consul didn't come around until 366 B.C. The two chairmen of the senate were the consuls. They were elected by members of the senate. The consuls were commanders of the Roman army. Usually, the consuls were around forty-three. Because the consuls wanted games to be remembered, they had artists write down information about the games. The consuls were rarely seen in public but they were well-known. The consuls led the senate, were involved in foreign affairs, and could be overshadowed by dictators. Imperium duplex is the power divided between two. Annuum is the law that the consuls can only be in office for a year. Both of these things applied to the consuls. When a consul would die, there would rarely or never be a replacement.


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