Description
Book SynopsisThere is no other published book in English studying the constitution of the Roman Republic as a whole. Yet the Greek historian Polybius believed that the constitution was a fundamental cause of the exponential growth of Rome''s empire. He regarded the Republic as unusual in two respects: first, because it functioned so well despite being a mix of monarchy, oligarchy and democracy; secondly, because the constitution was the product of natural evolution rather than the ideals of a lawgiver. Even if historians now seek more widely for the causes of Rome''s rise to power, the importance and influence of her political institutions remains. The reasons for Rome''s power are both complex, on account of the mix of elements, and flexible, inasmuch as they were not founded on written statutes but on unwritten traditions reinterpreted by successive generations. Knowledge of Rome''s political institutions is essential both for ancient historians and for those who study the contribution of Rome to
Trade ReviewThis study remains as important to students of ancient history as to classicists. * Contemporary Review *
Table of ContentsI. Introduction ; II. A Roman Political Year ; III. Polybius and the Constitution ; IV. The Story of the Origin of the Constitution ; V. The Assemblies ; VI. The Senate ; VII. The Higher Magistrates and the Pro-Magistrates ; VIII. Tribunes, Aediles, and Minor Magistrates ; IX. Criminal Justice ; X. The Influence of Society and Religion ; XI. The Balance of the Constitution ; XII. The Mixed Constitution and Republican Ideology ; XIII. The Republic Remembered
