How They DId It - Elections in Ancient Rome
TLDRThe video script delves into the intricate world of ancient Roman elections during the mid-Republican era. It outlines the various public offices up for grabs each year, such as the consul, praetor, aedile, and censor, with a focus on their evolving roles and powers. The electorate, comprising male Roman citizens, was divided into voting units based on tribal affiliations and property classes, which significantly influenced the voting dynamics. The Centurion assembly, representing the military capacity, and the tribal assembly, reflecting civil identity, elected different officials. The voting process was conducted on the Campus Martius, with a system favoring wealthier classes and landowners. The video also highlights the sequential voting method of the Centurion assembly and its potential for manipulation by the elite. Despite its complexity, the script reminds viewers to appreciate the historical context and consider modern parallels in electoral systems.
Takeaways
- 🏛️ The highest Roman office was the consul, which involved controlling the army and managing government affairs under the Senate's direction.
- 👥 The praetor's role evolved to primarily deal with law and justice, acting as the supreme civil judges in Roman law.
- 📈 Additional offices were created as Rome expanded, including the aediles who had administrative responsibilities and the quaestors who were financial officials.
- 🗳️ Plebeian Tribunes were established to protect plebeians from patricians, with powers to convene assemblies and propose legislation.
- 👑 The censor was a powerful office elected every five years, responsible for controlling the social order, running the census, and regulating Senate membership.
- 🤝 Only male Roman citizens could vote, and the system was not based on one person, one vote but on voting units.
- 🏙️ The tribal assembly represented Romans in their civil capacity and elected lower officials, while the Centurion assembly represented Romans in their military capacity and elected higher offices.
- 📊 The Centurion assembly was organized by property class, reflecting the expectation that richer citizens had more to contribute to war and should have more say in military matters.
- ✍️ Voting initially involved voice votes, which later switched to a ballot system for greater privacy.
- 📉 The voting system was biased towards the wealthy, with the rural areas having their votes amplified and the urban poor having their votes diluted.
- 🎉 A candidate only needed 18 of the 35 tribal votes to be elected, which could lead to situations where a candidate with fewer overall votes won due to the order of vote announcements.
Q & A
What was the highest office in the mid Roman Republic?
-The highest office in the mid Roman Republic was that of consul, who controlled the army and managed government affairs, often under the direction of the Senate.
How did the power of consuls in the Roman Republic get checked?
-The power of consuls was checked by their limited term and the fact that there were two consuls who each had the power to veto the other.
What was the role of the praetor in the Roman Republic?
-The praetor's role evolved over time but largely came to deal with law and justice. They were the supreme civil judges who issued edicts, dealt with important cases, and administered Roman law.
How did the number of censors change over time in the Roman Republic?
-The number of censors remained at two throughout the Roman Republic. They were voted on once every five years and held power for 18 months, making it an incredibly powerful and coveted position.
What was the main responsibility of the plebeian Tribunes?
-Plebeian Tribunes were established to provide protection against the patricians. They had the power to convene the plebeian assembly, propose legislation, and veto any laws, decrees, or actions within Rome.
How were male Roman citizens able to vote?
-Male Roman citizens voted through one of two organizations: the tribal assembly, representing them in their civil capacity, and the Centurion assembly, representing them in their military capacity.
What was the basis for the organization of the tribal assembly?
-The tribal assembly was based on one's tribal association, with tribes initially based on geographical locations and later inherited, leading to a system that favored wealthy rural landowners over urban poor.
How was the Centurion assembly organized?
-The Centurion assembly was organized based on the Romans in their military capacity, with citizens organized by property class, reflecting the expectation that Roman citizens would bring their own gear to war.
How did the voting process work in the tribal assembly?
-In the tribal assembly, individuals advanced to the front of their line and announced their vote, which was recorded by officers called purgatory. Later, a ballot system was introduced for greater privacy.
What was the voting process like in the Centurion assembly?
-The Centurion assembly voted sequentially rather than all at once. The 18 centuries of the Knights were summoned first, followed by the 80 centuries of the first class, and so on, with each century's vote being counted and announced.
Why was the voting process in the Centurion assembly slower than in the tribal assembly?
-The sequential voting process in the Centurion assembly, along with frequent breaks for announcements, meant that it could often stretch for several days, sometimes allowing for further campaigning by candidates.
How did the Roman voting system favor the elite?
-The Roman voting system favored the elite through the organization of the Centurion assembly, where the wealthier classes, who could contribute more to war, had more voting power. If the upper classes voted together, they could often determine a winner without input from the lower classes.
Outlines
🏛️ Roman Republic Elections Overview
This paragraph introduces the topic of ancient Roman elections during the mid-Republican era. It outlines the various offices up for election each year, such as the consul, praetor, aedile, quaestor, and plebeian tribunes, as well as the unique position of censor elected once every five years. The consul was the highest office with military and governmental authority, while the praetor dealt with law and justice. Aediles had administrative duties, and quaestors were financial officials. Plebeian tribunes provided a check against the patricians, and censors controlled the social order through the census and regulation of the Senate. The paragraph also notes that the nature of these offices and the voting process evolved over time.
🗳️ The Roman Voting System and Assemblies
This section delves into the structure of the Roman voting system, highlighting the two main voting assemblies: the tribal assembly and the Centuriate assembly. The tribal assembly represented the civil aspect of Roman society and elected lower officials, while the Centuriate assembly, representing the military capacity, elected higher offices like consuls and praetors. The tribal assembly was based on tribal affiliation, which was often determined geographically, leading to an imbalance in voting power favoring the wealthy rural landowners. The Centuriate assembly, on the other hand, was organized by wealth classes, with the richer citizens having more voting power. The paragraph explains the process of how elections took place, including the announcement of candidates, the use of a voting structure, and the counting of votes. It also touches on the evolution to a ballot system for privacy and the potential for the upper classes to dominate the outcome due to their majority of votes.
🎭 The Election Process and Potential Anomalies
The final paragraph describes the mechanics of the Roman election process, including the gathering of voters at the Campus Martius and the sequential voting procedure of the Centuriate assembly. It discusses how the voting was conducted in a structured manner, with the wealthier classes voting first, which could often determine the election outcome without the need for the lower classes to vote. The paragraph also presents a hypothetical scenario where a candidate could be declared the winner despite another candidate having a higher overall vote count due to the order of vote announcements. This illustrates a potential flaw in the system where the will of the later voters could be disregarded. The paragraph concludes with a reminder of the importance of participating in one's own elections and an acknowledgment of the video's supporters.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Elections
💡Consul
💡Praetor
💡Censors
💡Voting Units
💡Tribes
💡Centurion Assembly
💡Voting Process
💡Plebeian Tribune
💡Social Order
💡Voter Suppression
Highlights
Ancient Roman elections were a formal and organized process for selecting candidates by vote.
The highest office in mid-Roman Republic was the consul, who controlled the army and managed government affairs.
Praetors were responsible for law and justice, acting as the supreme civil judges and administrators of Roman law.
Aediles had administrative duties, overseeing public works, archives, markets, and organizing public games and festivals.
Quaestors were financial officials who maintained public records and administered the treasury.
Plebeian Tribunes provided protection against the patricians and had the power to convene the plebeian assembly and propose legislation.
Censors, elected once every five years, controlled the social order of Roman citizens, running the census and regulating Senate membership.
Voting in Rome was restricted to male Roman citizens and was not based on one person, one vote.
The tribal assembly represented Romans in their civil capacity and elected lower officials, while the Centurion assembly represented their military capacity.
The tribal assembly was based on tribal associations, with each tribe, regardless of size, having one vote.
The Centurion assembly organized citizens by property class, reflecting the expectation that richer citizens contributed more to war.
The voting process involved gathering on the Campus Martius and announcing candidates before voting commenced.
Voting in the tribal assembly was initially voice-based but later switched to a ballot system for privacy.
A candidate could be elected with 18 out of 35 tribal votes, but the order of vote announcements could affect the outcome.
The Centurion assembly voted sequentially, with the upper classes voting first and potentially determining the election outcome.
The voting system in ancient Rome favored the wealthy and elites, with the potential for the upper classes to dominate election outcomes.
Despite its complexity, the Roman voting system provides historical context for understanding modern electoral processes.
Transcripts
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