The Roman Republic: Difference between revisions

{{tropeUseful Notes}}

After a time the Romans lost patience with living in [[The Kingdom]] and threw out Tarquinius Superbus (Tarquin the Proud), and formed what they called a ''respublica'' (literally, "Thing of the People"), from which we gain the term "Republic." Rome was organized as an oligarchy with [[The Aristocracy]], called patricians, controlling the "Senate" (derived from ''senex'', meaning "old man"), though the public had some say on the issues through the tribunes<ref> This office was created about 250 years after the republic's founding. Details are at [[The Other Wiki]].</ref> (lit. Protector of the People, had veto power), as well as the less formal ability to beg favors from their patrons. This organization is reflected in the famous Roman slogan SPQR which stands for ''Senatus Populusque Romanus,'' or "The Senate and People of Rome." [[The Republic]] in social structure was quite family oriented with various clans becoming centers of webs of patronage, a patron/client relationship that has modern answers in political machines and [[The Mafia]]. While Rome's system was not democratic by modern standards it had [[Fair for Its Day|for its time]] a reputation for justice and stability and its elaborate checks and balances were often admired by Greeks whose cities were often troubled by [[We ARE Struggling Together!|chaos]].

'''The Roman Republic''' had a succession of executive magistrates with one-year terms, including quaestors (low-level magistrates, 20 a year), praetors (mid-level judicial magistrates, the lowest office to grant its holder the benefit of lictors/bodyguards carrying around their telltale [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|''fasces'']]), and two consuls (top executives with executive powers checked only by each other and the Senate). In addition, the Republic came with a safety valve: in times of crisis, a six-month term for a special office, ''dictator'', could be granted to one person, granting him complete control of the state. There could be good dictators ([[Cincinnatus]], Quintus Fabius Maximus Cunctator), but usually the inherent danger of the office prevented widespread use, and both Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix and [[Gaius Julius Caesar]] would declare themselves ''dictator pro vita'', or dictator for life, granting them supreme power until death.

** It is worth noting, after reading the above, that Cicero lost only one case. He lost that case because the court was filled with heavily armed, menacing looking men wanting a conviction and staring meaningfully at the jury throughout proceedings.

* [[Feuding Families]]: Temporarily subverted. Roman [[The Clan|Clans]] would competitively try to draw attention to how useful they were to [[The Republic]], rather than simply fighting against each other. This made for a state with a remarkable cohesion. However though reduced and controlled [[Feuding Families]] were not unknown and may have been an element in the civil strife toward the end of [[The Republic]].

* [[Honor Before Reason]]: Both subverted and played straight. The Roman code of honor emphasized such rational concepts as discipline and team loyalty rather then being a [[Glory Hound]]. If [[Achilles in His Tent|Achilles]] had been a Roman the [[Drill Sergeant Nasty|centurion]] would have beaten him black and blue with his swagger stick. Nonetheless the Roman Code though not completely irrational was very exacting.

* [[In the Blood]]: Romans had a superstition that this was literally true and thus would sometimes give votes based on which [[The Clan|Clan someone was from]] in the hope that he would have the qualities of a noted [[The Hero|hero]]. This added to the normal [[Nepotism]] of political life. Oddly enough the results were [[Better Than It Sounds]], and provided a number of bureaucrats that were competent to no-worse-than-average. Sometimes luck wins out.

* [[Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me]]: The big shield is a distinctive feature of Roman armies in all periods.

== [[Film]] ==

== [[Live -Action TV]] ==

== [[Literature]] ==

* Steven Saylor's ''[[Roma Sub Rosa]]'' series.

* As if the '''real''' Roman Republic wasn't [[Badass]] enough, John Maddox Roberts' [[Alternate History]] ''Hannibal's Children'' has them [[Took a Level Inin Badass|take a level or three]] in reaction to being exiled north of the Alps. When they '''come back''' one hundred years later, a Greek thinks that the sound of Roman laughter reminds him of swords clashing against shields. They don't swagger or bully; they're too badass for that. In one battle, an "inexperienced" Roman army under a "second-rate" general faces a veteran mercenary force twice their size and led by Carthage's best general. The Romans are wiped out — but the Carthaginian army is '''wrecked''', [[Pyrrhic Victory|with two-thirds of its troops killed outright, and most of the rest badly battered]].

== Theater[[Theatre]] ==

[[Category{{DEFAULTSORT:The Roman Republic]], The}}