Exercises on the Roman Republican Period

Explain how the monarchy was extinguished in Rome and what part the patricians played in this process.

To what extent did the Roman Republic possess characteristics of an aristocratic, monarchical and democratic nature?

For what reason can we say that the Republic stands out as a moment of formation of the Roman Empire?

How did the rise of the generals become a threat to the republican regime?

(UFTPR)

Regarding the crisis of the Republic and the emergence of the Roman Empire, it is correct to say that:

a) it was caused by the rural exodus and the supply crises, which generated civil conflicts and constant calls for dictators, generals and triumvirates.

b) it was caused by the discontent of the plebeians with the monopoly of politics in the hands of the patrician elites, and, in the face of this, the plebeians began to claim their rights, refusing to be part of the army.

c) it was caused by the Roman territorial expansion outside the Italian peninsula. The conquest of supremacy in the Mediterranean Sea aroused the hostility of the Carthaginians, who ended up contributing to the instability of the Republic.

d) it was caused by the revolt led by the gladiator Spartacus, who organized a slave rebellion with the aim of becoming emperor.

e) it was caused by the collapse of the slave system, caused by the end of the wars of conquest and the loss of the main source of labor:the enslaved prisoners.

The monarchy was extinguished by the action of the patricians, who began to show discontent with a type of government in which a single figure had broad powers. Thus, in order to overcome this problem, they decided to distribute political attributions among several positions known as magistracies.

The republican regime developed in Rome concentrated these characteristics through several transformations and permanences that mark this period. When evaluating the broad participation of patricians in the Senate and in the magistracies, we perceive the aristocratic tone of the regime. In addition, the position of consul revealed a monarchical notion in determining the power of military decision and the right to convene the Senate. Finally, democracy can also be seen in this regime when we refer to the existence of assemblies and the expansion of rights that took place with the commoners, who made up a large part of the population.

Such a statement can be supported insofar as the Republic is precisely the period in which the Roman army began to gain an organization capable of carrying out the conquest of different territories. At the same time, we see that at the same time the Roman economy grew with the exploitation of conquered lands, the articulation of commerce in different regions and the exploitation of slave labor.

Insofar as they ensured Roman military victories, the generals gained great prestige and, in such a way, had no difficulty in winning elections for the magistrates. With the strengthening of their political image, these generals had power of command and decision that could easily overcome the rules and limits imposed by the Republic. Not by chance, the end of this period is marked by the power struggle between the generals who wanted to control the government as emperor.

Letter A . The concentration of land caused in this period caused many small and medium owners to lose their land and start living in the urban centers of Rome. In some situations, the State was forced to carry out the distribution of food to a population prevented from seeking their own sustenance due to the lack of available land for use. Over time, this situation favored the development of revolts that paved the way for the personal political empowerment of some Roman generals.