Ancient Rome Government
Written By Alyssa & Kendra
Rome's Location & Government Structure
Ancient Rome was a large city in Italy, which is located in Europe. The Romans decided they wanted a tripartite government, which is made up of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Each branch had equal power.
Three Branches of Ancient Rome Government
Executive
The executive branch of Ancient Rome's ran the government. It was comprised of two consuls, who led Rome's executive branch by commanding the army, and directed the rest of the government. Their term was only one year long, and they were unable to run again for ten years.
Legislative
The legislative branch of Ancient Rome's government made the laws. It was consisted of a senate, and the assemblies. The senate was made up of three hundred patricians who advised the leaders of Rome.
Judicial
The judicial branch oversaw courts and governed provinces. There were eight judges who served for one year.
Patricians & Plebians
Patricians
The patricians were wealthy landowners who held the highest positions in government, such as consuls and senators.
Plebians
Everyone who wasn't a wealthy landowner was a plebeian. They were able to vote, but could not hold important positions in the government. This made them very unhappy, because patricians could change the laws without any of the plebeians knowing, which made them very upset with the patrician leaders. This is what led to the creation of the Twelve Tables.
More Information
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar was one of the greatest military leaders of Ancient Rome. He defeated the Gauls, won land and wealth for his city, and was a pretty good politician as well.
Twelve Tables
The Roman twelve tables established basic rights and basic duties for Roman citizens. These rules were published and posted where everyone was able to see them. This made it so the Roman leaders couldn't just change the rules on the spot. When the rules changed, all the citizens knew about it.
Rome Republic
A republican government is when people are able to elect their leaders. They decided to use this type of government after they overthrew their kings. Having a republic government led them to create the three branches of government.
U.S. Rome Comparison
There are many similarities and differences between Rome and U.S. government. They both have a tripartite government, with an executive, legislative, and judicial branch. Also, they both have a senate. A few differences are that Rome's senate consisted of three hundred senators, while our senate is only comprised of one hundred. Also, the Roman government was led by two consuls who only served for one term of one year, while the U.S. government is led by one president who is able to serve for eight years total, if they are re - elected to serve another term.
Greece Rome Comparison
Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome are alike and different in a few ways. Both government systems were eventually set up so their citizens were able to vote for their leaders. Although while Romans had one government throughout the city, Greece had multiple types of government, with different types in each city - state. Also, Ancient Rome had a tripartite government, while Ancient Greece did not.
Rome Influenced our Government By...
Rome has influenced our government in a quite a few ways. They were one of the first to have a tripartite government, and they had the same branches of government that we have today. They also had a senate, which we have as well, and assemblies, which started the idea of the house of representatives.