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Political Structure of the Roman Republic
This lesson explains the political structure of the Roman Republic by highlighting the importance of
social class within the system. It also explains the roles and positions of the Consuls, the Senate, and
the Assembly.
The Republic Begins
When the Romans overthrew their Etruscan rulers in the year 509 BCE, they weren't just changing
their political status. They were establishing a form of government that would influence politics for
thousands of years to come.
Upon freeing themselves from the conquering Etruscans of the north, the Romans formed a
republic, a system of government in which citizens choose representatives to govern on their
behalf. With this, they established a governmental system, which was a precursor to many in our
modern day world.
The Class Structure
To understand the political structure of the Roman Republic, we must first understand the
importance of social class. The natural born inhabitants of the Republic, who were not slaves, were
broken into two main groups. They were the patricians, members of the upper class including the
nobility and the wealthy landowners, and the plebeians, or the common people of Rome.
Unlike today's society where people can move up and down the social ladder, the patricians and
plebeians of Rome were completely separate and distinct. Intermarriage between the classes was
forbidden. Making these social classes even more of a dividing line was whether a man was a
patrician or a plebeian dictated what position he could hold within the beginning political structure of
the Republic.
Consuls
Only upper-class patricians could hold the President-like position of consul.
If a man was a patrician, he could hold the highest position in government, known as consul. Since
this position oversaw the workings of the government and its officials, while also being the
commander of the army outside the city of Rome, we can draw some loose parallels to it and the
American presidency. However, unlike the Presidency, two patrician men ruled as consuls. They
had the power to veto one another and were limited to a one year term. In times of crisis, and in
order to make swift, concise decisions, one man could be elevated to dictator over the Republic.
Senate
Trying to make sure the patricians could keep control, the consuls were elected from the Senate, a
group of 300 patricians who were, in essence, the law makers of Rome. They made decisions on
spending, while also controlling taxation and relationships with foreign powers. Again, we can
loosely compare the Roman Senate to the legislative branch of the American government.
However, there are some major differences. Perhaps most obvious, the senators of Rome were not
chosen by the citizens. They were chosen by the Consul, and they were elected for life.
The Assembly
The last governing body of the Roman Republic was the Assembly. The Assembly allowed
plebeians, or common citizens, into its membership. Like the First Amendment right to assemble,
the Assembly had the right to assemble in the forum, or the marketplace and business center of
Rome.
Fortunately for the Assembly, they had one ace up their sleeve. As the Republic aged, they were in
charge of choosing the consuls. Yes, the consuls were elected from the Senate but not by the
Senate. The honor of choosing went to the Assembly. Since the Assembly chose the consuls, any
senator hoping to gain the highest position in government needed to win the favor of the Assembly.
Just imagine, a wealthy patrician courting a common plebeian! This setup allowed the wealthier
plebeians, who were not patricians no matter how much money they made, to wield substantial
power. It was politics at its best!
With this setup, it's not hard to imagine why the Assembly gained power. They were also given the
right to elect tribunes, a position which acted very much like a president of the plebeians. The man
holding this position had the right to intervene on legal matters and veto legislation. He also held the
right to summon the Senate, even making proposals for their consideration.
Between 449 and 450 BCE, the plebeians of Rome gained another victory through the Law of the
Twelve Tables. These were a code of laws, which spelled out civil matters, crime and punishment,
and relationships among citizens and family members. Most important about these new laws was
that both patricians and plebeians were bound by them.
Soon following the Law of the Twelve Tables, the Assembly had gained such power that plebeians
were given the right to marry patricians, and even a plebeian could be Consul! Ironically, the
growing power of the Assembly would be blamed for the fall of the Republic.
Lesson Summary
With this we come to the end of our discussion on the political structure of the Roman Republic, a
governmental system which was a precursor to many in our modern-day world. In studying this, it's
important to remember that social class played a huge role in the Republic's beginnings. Whether a
person was a wealthy patrician, or a common plebeian, decided what role he could play in
government.
Although the roles changed as the Republic aged, at the top of the Roman Republic were the
consuls, who oversaw the workings of the government and its officials, while also being the
commanders of the army outside the city of Rome. Next, there was the Senate, which made
decisions on spending, while also controlling taxation and relationships with foreign powers. Last,
there was the Assembly, which included the plebeians of Rome and worked to continually change
the roles and rights of the common man.