After the expulsion of the authoritarian and domineering Tarquinius of Proud in Rome, republican rule was established. The Roman Republic (509-27 BC) in its history went through two stages: the so-called early (509-265 BC) and late (264-27 BC) republics. During its formation in Rome, production developed rapidly, which contributed to serious social shifts.
The political system of Ancient Rome during this period combined aristocratic and democratic features. Privileges belonged to the nobility - the wealthy elite of the slave owners.
Only those with freedom, family and citizenship had legal capacity in Rome. The entire population was divided into free and slaves. The former, in turn, comprised two class groups: the top of wealthy slave owners and small producers (artisans and farmers, to whom the urban poor also adjoined). Slaves could belong to the state or private individuals.
The Roman Republic turned them into the main exploited class. The sources of slavery were those taken prisoner of war, and self-selling began to be practiced. The power of the masters over the slaves had no restrictions.
By citizenship, the entire free population of the republic was divided into citizens and peregrines (foreigners). Freed slaves also became citizens, but they were limited in their rights.
At the end of the II -II century. BC. privileged estates arose - these were nobles (wealthy patricians and the top of the plebs) and horsemen (trading and financial nobility, landowners). Only homeowners — heads of families — could participate in the public assembly, as well as occupy government posts.
The political system of the Roman Republic was like that. The highest state bodies were the following: the Senate, national assemblies and magistracy. National meetings were of three types: centuriate, tribute and chicken. The main role was played by centurial meetings. By the middle of the 3rd century BC. the structure of the assembly has changed. Not only aristocrats and wealthy slave owners were already represented in them, but each of the categories of possessing citizens began to exhibit the same number of centuries. The scope of their competence included the adoption of laws, the declaration of war, the consideration of complaints on sentences of the death penalty.
Important value in socio-political life played the Senate. Although formally it was a deliberative body, its powers also included financial, legislative, religious functions, beautification, public security and foreign policy functions.
Government posts were called graduate schools. They were divided into ordinary (ordinary) with the posts of consuls, censors, praetors, questors, etc. and extraordinary (extraordinary) created under extraordinary circumstances: wars, uprisings, etc. At the suggestion of the Senate, dictators were appointed.
The Roman Republic relied on the army, which played a particularly important role in the life of the state. At this time, foreign policy was characterized by almost continuous wars. There was a struggle with Carthage for the possession of the Western Mediterranean (about 120 years, from the 264 BC to 146 BC, the Punic Wars lasted ). Also during this period there were wars with Syria and Macedonia. By 146 BC The Roman Republic established its rule over the entire Mediterranean.
The development of slave society in the days of the republic led to an exacerbation of its social and class contradictions. In the second century BC e. the crisis of the polis organization broke out.
The collapse of the republic was accompanied by events such as two Sicilian uprisings of slaves and under the leadership of Spartacus (74-70 BC), the struggle between large and small landowners, the revolutionary movement of the rural plebs led by the Gracchus brothers, the Allied War, the all-Italian uprising against power of Rome, which ended with the establishment of the dictatorship of Sulla, and then Caesar.