The Senate Rules

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, welcome, Let's take a little stroll down Appian
Way and begin our journey back to ancient Italy to
explore one of the most fascinating political transformations in history,
the rise of the Roman Republic. How did a small

(00:22):
city state overthrow a monarchy, create a new system of government,
and set the foundation for one of the greatest empires
of the world. Let's find out. To understand the rise
of the Roman Republic, we first need to look at
what came before. In the eighth century BCE, Rome was founded,

(00:48):
according to legend, by Romulus and Remus. For nearly two
and a half centuries, Rome was ruled by a series
of kings. These monarchs were not all Roman, I'm worry Etruscan,
reflecting the influences of advanced neighboring civilizations on early Rome.
The kings ruled with significant power, supported by a council

(01:11):
of aristocrats called the Senate. However, tension grew as the
last king of Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, better known as Tarquin.
That's quite a name. Tarquin the Proud, became increasingly autocratic.
His oppressive reign and the infamous incident involving the assault

(01:36):
of Lucretia, a noble woman, sparked outrage among the Roman
elite and populace, and five O nine BCE this discontent
culminated in the overthrow of the monarchy. With the monarchy abolished,
the Romans had to decide how to govern themselves. They

(01:58):
created a new system called the rest publica or public affair,
which we know today as the Roman Republic. At the
heart of the republic were two key concepts. The first
one is power sharing. Instead of one ruler, power was

(02:23):
divided among elected officials. The most important of these were
the two consuls, who served as co lead for one
year terms, checks and balances. To sound familiar, To prevent tyranny,
no single individual or group could dominate. The Senate, made

(02:46):
up of Romans, aristocracy and the popular assemblies representing the
common people, shared decision making responsibilities, again sound familiar. While
this system aimed to balance power, it was far from perfect.
In practice. The wealthy patricians held most of the power,

(03:10):
while the plebeians the common citizens had to fight for
political representation over the centuries. So what were the challenges
and reforms? The early Republic faced numerous challenges, both internal
and external. Internally, there was constant tension between patricians and plebeians.

(03:36):
This struggle, known as the Conflict of the Orders, led
to the major reforms over time. The Plebeians gained the
right to elect their own representative. Again just going down
a road that I know the tribunes of the plebs
who had the power to veto decisions by the Senate. Externally,

(04:01):
Rome was surrounded by enemies. The republic had to fight
off invasions from neighboring tribes and gradually expanded its territory
through relentless warfare. By the third century BCE, Rome had
become the dominant power in central Italy. So let's take
a look at some of the key moments in the

(04:24):
republic's rise. The Twelve Tables four fifty one four fifty
BCE the first written code of Roman laws. This was
a victory for the Plebeians, who demanded transparency in legal matters.
The laws were harsh, but provided a foundation for Roman justice.

(04:50):
The Latin League. Rome formed alliances with neighboring Latin cities,
strengthening its military and power and securing its position in
the region. The Samnite Wars three forty three to two
ninety BCE. These wars against the Samnites, a powerful Italian tribe,

(05:12):
showcased Rome's determination and military innovation, such as the development
of the manipular legion, a more flexible army formation the
Pirate War two eighty to two seventy five BCE. This
conflict with King Pyrus of Epirus introduced Rome to large

(05:36):
scale battles with Greek style armies. Rome's eventual victory solidified
its dominance in Italy. So why was the republic? Why
the republic was revolutionary? What made the Roman Republic so
remarkable was its blend of innovation and tradition. The republic

(05:59):
wasn't democracy in the modern sense, far from it, but
it introduced the idea of governance as a shared responsibility
among citizens, with institutions designed to limit absolute power. The
system later governments. The system inspired later governments, as we

(06:21):
were saying earlier, including the founding fathers of the United States,
who saw the Roman Republic as a modern for balancing
authority with liberty. But let's not forget the republic was
also a society built on hierarchy, slavery, and conquests, which
was par for the course in those days. Romans legacy

(06:43):
and lessons. By the second century BCE, the Republic was
at its peak, controlling vast territories across the Mediterranean. However,
the same system that had helped Rome rise would ultimately
contribute to its fall. Ambitious generals like Julius Caesar exploited

(07:05):
the Republic's weaknesses, leading to the end of the Republic
and the rise of the Roman Empire. But the lessons
of the republic endure. It showed how governance could evolve,
how power could be checked, how small city states could
rise to global prominence through resilience and adaptability. So did

(07:32):
you know the Roman senate met curia a building in
the curia, a building whose ruins you can still see
in the Roman forum today. Or the term senator comes
from the Latin word senex, meaning old man. Well, I
guess I'm a senator. Yes, they value age and wisdom.

(07:56):
I should have lived back then. So basically it was
the world's retirement club with political power. Sign me up
and get this. The word republic comes from res publica,
meaning public matter, a reminder that governance was meant to
be about the people, not just the elite. And does

(08:19):
that translate to today or not? Some final thoughts. The
rise of the Roman Republic is a story of innovation, struggle,
and resilience. It's a reminder of what humans can achieve
when they dare to imagine a new way of living,
and the challenges that come with balancing power and fairness.

(08:43):
Well that's all I got on Rome today. We'll try
to get a little further into the fall of the
Republic and the rise of the Empire next time. So
I hope you guys enjoyed, have a great day, and
I will talk to you next time. God Bus