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Roman Republic Essay

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Introduction
Rome was run under a monarchy for the first two centuries of its founding, having lasted through a total of seven kings. During this time, Rome grew into a successful metropolis with the adoption of Etruscan technology and culture which may be attributed to its many Etruscan kings. This monarchy would come to an end after the overthrowing of their last king, bringing about the birth of the Roman Republic.

What circumstances led to the establishment of the Roman Republic?
Rome was founded in 753 BCE and operated as a monarchy up until its last king, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus was overthrown.

Throughout the Roman monarchy, its nobles have been gaining power and were growingly displeased at Tarquinius's attempt to diminish their …show more content…

The final straw was when his son Sextus Tarquinius raped a daughter of powerful Roman nobles, Lucretia (The Establishment of the Roman Republic, n.d).

Which elements of the Republic made it democratic?
According to Longley (2022), the main difference between a democracy and a republic is how much control the people have over making laws. In a Republic, the laws are made by the elected representatives of the people, while in a democracy, the laws are made by the majority.

Rome's Republic combined three types of governing elements to form its Republic, democracy, aristocracy and monarchy (Structure of the Republic, …show more content…

Other assemblies had specific purposes and were limited to certain groups of citizens (Structure of the Republic, n.d).

The tribunes, which was made up of plebeians - free Roman citizens who were part of the lower class of society. They preside over the assembly and have the power to keep the consuls in check (Structure of the Republic, n.d).

The Consuls, two of the highest offices in the Republic must be elected each year to serve a one-year term of office. The consuls had the power to veto each other's decisions and did not make laws or judgements but can only act on laws created by the assembly (Structure of the Republic, n.d).

Which elements made you question the Republic’s democratic nature?
As the republic wasn't fully democratic, elements of undemocratic processes were also present:

Limited suffrage, although Rome had in place a voting system, voting rights were only given to adult male citizens of Rome, this means that women, slaves and non-Roman residents were left out of its democratic voting

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