Roman Civilization

CMS 206 /History 206

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 I. Roman Society:

A. Under the Kings:

1. patricians (controlled law and religious priesthood
2. plebians
3. slaves

B. Under the Republic: ordines - (ordered by wealth and legal status)

1. senators
2. equites
3. citizens
4. freedmen
5. slaves

II. Roman Constitution:

A. Branches of Government

1. Citizen Assemblies
   • organized by tribe: tribes were organized by wealth; and within a tribe voting was by wealth
   • powers:
     • accept or reject legislation proposed by Senate
     • declare war
     • elect magistrates
2. Senate
   • under the Kings, eligibility for office determined by blood; under Republic by wealth and election.
   • powers -
     • debate policy and propose laws
     • represent Rome in diplomatic missions
     • control treasury
     • command Roman armies (imperium)
3. Courts
   • administered by praetors
   • eligibility for jury service determined by wealth
     • originally only senators
     • expanded to include equites

III. Magistracies - Cursus Honorum

1. quaestor - administrative/financial tasks
2. aedile - law & order + games
3. praetor - administered courts (lesser imperium)
4. counsels - chief administrative and military officers (imperium)
5. censors -
   • administered government contracts
   • administered census and nota
   • supervised morals
6. dictators
   • six month term
   • "trumping" imperium
   • beginning with Sulla, the office is (?unconstitutionally?) expanded

IV. Roman Social and Political Values and Institutions

1. Constitutional principals
   • Annual and Collegial Magistracies
   • Mos Maiorum
2. Social Principals
   • Pietas (patria potestas)
   • Dignitas
   • Auctoritas
3. Social Institutions
   • Patron-Client Relationships (Salutatio)
   • Colleges
   • Priesthoods
   • Spectacles
     • triumphs
     • games
     • funerals

• Andrew Riggsby's page on The Roman Republican Constitution
• A flow chart of Roman offices
• Sources for and further links to sites on the Roman Government
• A description of the various Roman assemblies
• Essay on the early Roman constitution / Essay on the constitution of the Middle Republic