How was Ancient Rome Governed?

Answer 1

At first, Rome was a monarchy. When the last king was expelled in 510 BCE two consuls were elected each year to be religious and war leaders. Lesser magistrates (Praetors) were responsible for governing the city and for law. A Senate was established to provide the legislative base. There were two assemblies of the citizens - the Centuriate Assembly of all men entitled to bear arms, which decided all matters of war and peace, and a Tribal Assembly which elected magistrates. Later there was a Plebeian Assembly of all citizens who were not Patricians. It could put forward laws and elected 10 Tribunes of the Plebs each year, which continuously diluted a Senate dominated by Patricians. This Assembly was the vehicle which gave the Plebeians an increasing share of power. After the civil wars of the 1st Century BCE, Octavian Augustus set up a system to stop ambitious generals blackmailing the government with their armies. He made himself First Citizen, and although the Senate was retained, he kept control of the army and had the ability to introduce and veto laws. This we call the Principate (Princeps = First Citizen). This lasted until the late 2nd Century CE, after which the First Citizens became openly autocratic, and we call this later period as the Dominate. The term Emperor did not exist (an Imperator was a general who was given that title by acclaim of the army on the battlefield after a good victory). We use it today to describe the head of an empire.