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Roman Republic Checks And Balances

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The Roman Republic was a magnificent political system with a lifespan of more than 500 years. Its impact on the modern world cannot be overestimated, as it served as a template for numerous democratic regimes all over the world. Nevertheless, historians cannot dispute the Republic’s eventual collapse, and several possible causes have been put forth. The rise of strong military leaders who overthrew the system of checks and balances that had previously kept the government in check is, in my opinion, the most significant cause that contributed to the fall of the Roman Republic. The Roman government was established in the early Republic on a complicated system of checks and balances that were meant to prevent any one person or party from acquiring excessive power. The Senate, popular assemblies, and magistrates were all under the control of …show more content…

Caesar proclaimed himself dictator for life after defeating his adversary Pompey in a civil war, essentially ending the Republic’s period of democratic rule. His murder in 44 BCE did not bring the Republic back to its former splendor since Octavian, his successor, eventually proclaimed himself emperor and founded the Roman Empire. There were numerous approaches to lessen the harm brought on by the emergence of strong military leaders (Coats, R. M., & Pecquet, G. M. 2013). First, the Senate should have taken stronger action to stop these leaders from usurping power by using their armies. Over time, the Senate’s influence had significantly decreased, and it was now more of a ceremonial assembly than a reliable check on the executive branch. The Senate might have been able to stop military leaders from obtaining excessive authority if it had continued to play a role in the

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