Rome: How the Republic was Lost

The Birth

• Founding of the Republic 509 BC
• Lucius Brutus and the overthrow of the kings.
• Establishment of the Tribunes of Plebes
  • Originally only for laws effecting plebs
  • Eventually able to propose laws to Senate
  • The veto of Senate actions
• The dictator as tool of governance
  • Extraordinary military crisis for limited time
  • Lucius Cincinnatus and the model of leaderships

The Crisis – Gracchi and the plebian demand for reform

• The Issue – Plebian Loss of Lands
  • Plebs serving in long wars were losing their farms
    • Only land owners could serve in the legions
    • Farms collapse and forced to sell to large (patrician) collectives worked by slaves
    • Unemployed plebs and displaced families flock to the city
  • Senate control over “foreign affairs” meant lands won in wars were given to patricians
• The Gracchi Solution
  • Distribute new lands to plebs whom served in wars
  • Enforce land laws - expand holding size and compensate patricians for loss
  • Byproduct is more land holders for the military
• The Crisis
  • The proposal will die in the Senate
  • Lacking legal authority to get the law passed Gracchi leverages the power of the masses
    • Proposes the law in the Tribune
    • Patricians had co-opted Marcus Octavius to veto his proposal in the Tribune
    • Gracchi vetoes routine votes to open Rome (markets, treasury, temples, etc)
  • Expels Marcus, passes law and relies on the mobilized masses to cowl the senate
  • Fearing an authoritarian raised to power by the masses, the Senate kills Gracchi
    • Clubbed to death led by senators
    • First example of actual violence in republic ruling power
• The Lesson
  • The Republic’s last chance to address the plebian/patrician conflict of interests
  • Patricians “win” but create a irreparably broke republic
    • Senate placates by passing the law – but doesn’t enforce
    • Gracchi is a plebian hero
  • Reform of the republic proves impossible within the order of its structure
    • Lacking proper power to reform within the laws, power is found outside it
    • Mobilized masses & brute force

The Wrong Lesson Learned – Sulla Comes to Power

• Two factions in Senate – Optimates and Populares
  • Optimates – Traditional patrician aristocrats (legal power)
  • Populares – Senators that favored the plebe’s interest (mobilized power)
• Sulla rose to notoriety as a general - Optimate, favored strong Senate powers
• Power struggle – Optimates vs Populares
  • To “save the Republic” Sulla unprecedented marches on Rome and purges Populares
  • Sulla decrees reforms
    • Expands Senate power while hollowing out plebian assemblies of power
    • Sulla bans any family descendants of political enemies from office
      • Brings a young Julius Caesar into prominence
      • “In this Caesar is many Mariuses.”
    • "No friend ever served me, and no enemy ever wronged me, whom I have not repaid in full"
• The Lesson
  • Rome only reformed through decree
  • Decree was at odds with broken traditions (aka, troops in Rome)
  • Power of legion allegiances trumps all power
  • Can a nation of laws be reformed by authoritarian decree?

The End of a Republic – The Beginning of an Empire?

• Julius Caesar conquers Gaul
  • Become wealthy
  • Gains tremendous troop loyalty
  • Outspoken populare makes him a champion of the people
• Crosses the Rubicon
  • Senate’s threat is undermined by Sulla’s previous conduct
  • Wins civil war and enter Rome as a triumphant leader
  • Distributes spoils to the people for mass support
    • Free food, games
    • Started government works project for employment
    • Expands Senate membership including non-Roman/patricians
• Declared dictator for life – 6 month tradition broken
  • “I rule until I die…” – an invitation for assassination
  • Ids of March
  • Brutal killing in the Senate
• Conspirators announce to Rome they have saved the Republic but, there was no longer a Republic to save!
  

Humanities Resource of Mark Hunter