Roman senate/Roman emperor?

Question

I read a this paragraph just a little bit ago and I'd like to know more on the subject. The military men who eventually rose to power, did they squabble for the position, get violent about it, or did they quietly get elected or step up into power? This topic really interested me and I would like to know how it worked. Also, in that time, was there such thing as Communism? Or a form of it? What others did they have besides the Roman democracy or Monarchy?

Roman senate existed, Roman emperor existed. Technically he was elected. Technically. The emperors worked VERY hard to keep it in the family or at least train people who were loyal to them. It never really worked. In the end it was just a bunch of military men rising up and grabbing power.

The last paragraph separated from everything is what I read.

Answer 1

Under the Republic, the Roman senate nominated two consuls or military leaders every year. These military leaders would be soley responsible for the defence and protection of Rome and her interests. But they could also be appointed for other duties by the senate - for example, Julius Caesar expressed contempt and disgust when the senate told him that he would be responsible for the safeguarding of Rome's forrests!.

Under the Republic, the Roman senate was made up of members from the rich aristocratic patrician families. There was very little chance of someone from outside the patrician families from rising up the ladder. However, Tiberius and his brother Gaius Gracchus, used their status as tribunes to champion popular causes - in the case of Tiberius and Gaius it was the land question for the Latin allies and the debt question.

During the second punic war, for the second time in Rome's history, the senate nominated one of the consuls, Fabius, to the position of dictator - for a certain time. This was unique to Rome - the position of dictator gave Fabius unique and extraordinary powers far beyond that of consul.

As tribunes became much more powerful and were supported by the plebian classes of Rome - the ordinary people, skillful and rich men who were born outside of the patricitian classes rose up thru Roman society by using the tribunes to obtain popular support. Both Marius and Julius Caesar did this - used the tribunes to get them popular support.

Marius held the position of consul 7 times. The position of consul was a very important position politically - it was not only in charge of Rome's defences, but a successful military general could use his sucess as a useful political weapon. Julius Caesar would enter Rome as a conquering hero and demand a 'Triumph' - a large celebration of his successes in which he was acknowledged by the whole of Rome to be a great general.

A conquering succesful consul was more powerful politically than the senate - and could dictate their own terms and could withstand the envy and control of the senate. After Julius caesar conquered Gaul and Britain, the senate tried to restrain Caesar by preventing him from re-entering Italy to claim his 'Triumph' celebration. The senate knew full well that to allow Caesar to re-enter would allow Caesar to become all powerful in Rome.

The senate tried to stop Caesar crossing the river Rubicon by sending another senate nominated consul - Pompey to stop Caesar. But when Caesar defeated pompey - Caesar was unstoppable. Knowing that the senate tried to stop him, Caesar entered Rome - assumed the title of dictator, and nominated his own senators - his own friends, colleagues.

Caesar not only assumed the dictatorship - which had been held only by Fabius and Sulla in times of emergency crisis, but Caesar used his popuarity as a all conquering hero to assume the position of dictator for life - subordinating the senate and all of the Roman Empire to himself.

But Caesar did also one thing - he got all of the top positions in Rome and combined them into a single office - so that he controlled everything. So as dictator, Caesar was also top general, chief priest etc etc

After Caesar was murdered, his heir Octavian manipulated the situation to turn against those in the senate who had Caesar murdered and turned against the rival generals Marc Antony. After the civil war, Octavian - now Augustus, assumed all of Caesar's offices - and combined them into the position of imperator - the modern day Emperor.

From Augustus onwards, the title of imperator and princeps - a collection of offices, was passed down from emperor to his nominated successor. But during the Empire, the soldiers used their own military successes to gain popularity and nominate themselves as Emperor with the support of the troops.

Answer 2

Senate Roman Empire

Answer 3

The first emperor was Octavius Caesar, nephew and adopted son of the assassinated Julius. Having seen what happened to Julius, who was moving to have himself named rex (king), Octavius moved more subtly. After defeating Marc Antony and Cleopatra at Antium in 17 BC, Octavius affected to "retire from public life."

But really, the senate voted new titles and powers to Octavius. One title was Augustus ('great"), another Princeps ("first man in the state," from which we get our word prince). They voted him tribune for life.

The tribunes were originally supposed to protect commoners. A tribune had a seat in the senate; a tribune could introduce as many bills in the senate per day as he wanted; a tribune could kill a bill by a veto; and the person of a tribune was inviolate--to shove a tribune in anger was death.

The senate voted him the maius imperium ("the great power") for life. The maius imperium was the power to punish Roman citizens with lashes or death without trial. It was routinely voted to generals who were leadingf armies away from Rome, but it expired when they returned. The holder of this power was called an imperator, from which comes our word emperor.

When Octavius died, the senate voted all his powers and titles to his nephew Tiberius. This continued as his relatives succeeded him, Gaius Caligula, Claudius, and Drusus Nero. When Nero died in an uprising, the senate voted the powers and titles to a general named Galba. They also voted Galba a member of the Caesar family, although he was not related.

The Roman senate and the consuls, praetors, quaestors, and aediles continued to exist throughout. The republican government seemed to go on, even though Augustus and his successors ran things. The provinces were divided between those that the senate named governors for and those that Augustus named governors for.

Succession was often violent. Caligula was assassinated. Nero killed himself during an uprising. Galba, Otho, and Vitellius were assassinated. Vespasian and his son Titus died naturally, but his other son Domitian was assassinated. As each emperor died, the army put up a new candidate, and the senate acclaimed him.

Finally came the five good emperors. The army acclaimed Nerva, age 70, after Domitian. Nerva had no children and adopted Trajan, a young general in Upper Germany, as his son. If any one killed Nerva, they would have to deal with Trajan. And if Trajan was ambitious, all he had to do was wait. Nerva soon died, and Trajan succeeded him. Trajan adopted Hadrian as his son and went off to conquer as far as India. Hadrian succeeded him and adopted Antoninus Pius. Antoninus Pius adopted Marcus Aurelius. Unfortunately, Marcus named his own biological son Commodus his heir. The rest you saw in the film, "The Fall of the Roman Empire."

Answer 4

Given the history of some of people in the US Senate, I hardly think Al Franken will be that bad.

Answer 5

One revelation is that Roman Catholic and Roman Empire are two different entities.