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The Senate

The Senate. 264 – 133BC. Few changes of great importance to the political organisation of the state Dictatorship came and went, but not abolished 242; Alien Praetor established to preside over disputes between foreigners and Romans, or foreigners with each other

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The Senate

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  1. The Senate 264 – 133BC

  2. Few changes of great importance to the political organisation of the state • Dictatorship came and went, but not abolished • 242; Alien Praetor established to preside over disputes between foreigners and Romans, or foreigners with each other • 227 and 197 two additional praetorships each time for provincial governors • After 148 this changed with the introduction of proconsuls and propraetors as provincial Governors

  3. 240Bc a change to the Centuriate Assembly • 1st class centuries were distributed on a tribal basis • Total of 193 centuries • Equestrian centuries were deprived of the right of voting before everyone else and voted with the first class • All first class votes went first followed by the second class • The total first class now were not a majority so in theory had less control • BUT in reality this meant the ruling Oligarchy had more influence over the assembly • Tribes close to Rome had few voters

  4. Most Romans who could vote were in the Army ! • In part the problem was many people could not get to vote • The army was spread across such a wide area • Maintenance of Roman Garrisons in the provinces • Many Romans were settled outside Italy

  5. Democracy? • Rome never really became a democracy • The Senate always had at least covert control • The ruling Oligarchy could influence too many people • They had wealth and power • They became a closed shop • By the end of the 2nd century BC control of Roman politics rested with less than 20 families

  6. From 287-133 the senate had almost unchallenged control of the government of the Roman state • It could guide or nullify the actions of the magistrates, tribunate and the assemblies • The higher magistrates were committees of senators

  7. Foreign Policy • Apart from declaring war all control of the foreign policy rested with the senate • War and peace could be controlled by the Centuriate Assembly

  8. Senators could not trade in business, banking, shipping etc • They could own farms • So quaestorship, aedileship, consulship became very appealing to Roman Senators • Open to bribes and abuses • They could make money

  9. Attempts to restrain abuses • 180 minimum age limits were set • An interval of 2 years between successive magistries • Normally the CursusHonorum was: Quaestorship then Aedileship, which gave one the chance to get public support, then Praetorship and Consulship. • In 181 and 159 laws were passed establishing severe penalties for bribery

  10. 151 re-elections to the same office were forbidden • 139 secret ballots for elections • 149 the Calpurnian Law introduced to try officials and get back monies gained illegally, especially by extortion in the provinces

  11. BUT • None of these things worked very well • Trial by your peers? • Laws dealt with symptoms not causes

  12. The Provinces • Due to the expansion the Empire was becoming harder to administrate • 227 the first two “provinces” were created Sicily and two adjoining Islands • 197 two in Spain, 148 Macedonia, 146 Africa, 129 Asia • Governors were appointed but as proconsul or propraetor • This change in policy is to prevent “New men” getting access to the Senate

  13. Provincial charter called “LexProvinciae” • Fixed rights and obligations of provincials • Three classes of province • Free and federate • Free and non-tributary • Tributary • Usually kept their own laws, subject to Roman supervision

  14. Free and federate • Few in number • Within borders of a province but did not really belong to it, as they were free.

  15. Free and non-tributary • Not numerous either • Within a non-formal protectorate • Exempt from taxation

  16. Tributary • Most numerous • Paid taxes • Subject to Roman supervision

  17. The Roman Governor • Term of office was annual, but could extend by prorogation, or failure to appoint a successor • Duties were: military, administrative, judicial. • Commanded the troops in his province • Supervised the relations between the communities • Collected tribute • Presided as judge in cases involving Romans

  18. The Quaestor acted as the treasurer and received the taxes • The Gov received no salary but did get a generous “expense account” • He took some staff and often “Companions” who were young men from the families of his friends so they could learn about provincial Gov’t

  19. Tax • Usually accepted the tax system already in place • Often a fixed levy, or a “decuma” one tenth of the annual produce • Customs duties collected in the harbours and frontiers • Collected by Publicani, contracted tax collectors, except for the case of fixed levies • Publicani made a profit out of the excess they could get

  20. Corruption • This system allowed for a range of levels of corruption • There were some honest Governors. But there were many who rorted the system. • Bribes, presents, illegal exactions and open confiscations were the ways to gain back some of the costs of his election campaign • The Gov had the power of life and death, and taxation to use as he willed • He was also a long way from Senatorial control

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