Plebs and Politics in the Late Roman RepublicPlebs and Politics in the Late Roman Republic analyses the political role of the masses in a profoundly aristocratic society. Constitutionally the populus Romanus wielded almost unlimited powers, controlling legislation and the election of officials, a fact which has inspired 'democratic' readings of the Roman republic. In this book a distinction is drawn between the formal powers of the Roman people and the practical realization of these powers. The question is approached from a quantitative as well as a qualitative perspective, asking how large these crowds were, and how their size affected their social composition. Building on those investigations, the different types of meetings and assemblies are analysed. The result is a picture of the place of the masses in the running of the Roman state, which challenges the 'democratic' interpretation, and presents a society riven by social conflicts and a widening gap between rich and poor. |
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Contents
| 1 | |
2 The scale of late republican politics | 18 |
3 The contio | 38 |
4 Legislative assemblies | 63 |
5 Elections | 90 |
6 Plebs and politics | 128 |
Appendix | 149 |
Bibliography | 152 |
Index | 162 |
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Common terms and phrases
ambitus argued assemblies attempt audience ballot bill boni bribery bribes Caesar campaigning candidates canvassing centuriae Cicero Cisalpine Gaul citizens claimed clientela clients Clodius comitia centuriata comitia tributa Comitium Comm Commentariolum concilium plebis consul consular election context contiones crowd democracy democratic e.g. Cic electoral elite example favours formal Forum freedmen Gracchus ideological important influence issue Italian late republic late republican politics legislative comitia level of attendance Lex Gabinia Lex Licinia libertas Livy lower classes magistrates masses meetings metres Millar nobles organised passed Planc Plancius plebeians plebs contionalis Plut political class politicians Polybius Pompey popular institutions popular participation population populus Romanus practice probably propertied classes question reference represented Roman politics Roman republic Rullus Saepta Scipio Scipio Aemilianus second century seems senate senate's senatorial Sest slaves social sodalitates structure suggests tion traditional tribal tribes tribus turned urban plebs Vanderbroeck vote voters