Roman Elections

Historia Civilis

14 Jan 201715:01

EducationalLearning

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TLDRThe video script delves into the intricate electoral system of the Roman Republic, highlighting the pivotal role of the Senate and the three distinct Public Assemblies that shaped the political landscape. The Assembly of the Centuries, the most prestigious, elected high-ranking officials like Consuls and Censors, with voting power heavily skewed towards the elite Patricians and Equites classes. The Tribal Assembly, in contrast, elected lower-ranked offices and, despite its randomized voting, favored the wealthy. Lastly, the Plebeian Assembly, exclusive to Plebeians, offered a more democratic process, electing officials like Tribunes of the Plebs and approving Senate legislation without amendments. The script also explores how these assemblies influenced the political dynamics, including the rise of radical Tribunes due to the disenfranchisement of the poor in other assemblies.

Takeaways

🏛️ The Senate was the epicenter of political activity in the Roman Republic, with members initially elected as Quaestors by the public.
🗳️ Elections for higher offices in the Senate were complex and involved different Public Assemblies, each with distinct rules and roles.
🎖️ The most prestigious Public Assembly was the Assembly of the Centuries, which elected high-ranking officials like Consuls, Praetors, and Censors.
📜 Censors were respected ex-Consuls who maintained the Senate's membership rolls and conducted the official census, which influenced voting classes.
🏆 There were 8 classes of citizens, with the Patricians and Equites having significant influence due to their small size and wealth.
👥 The first class of Roman citizens, the wealthiest non-aristocrats, had the most voting blocs, reflecting their economic power.
🗣️ The voting process involved a random selection of blocs and simultaneous voting for all elections of the same type.
🔄 If no candidate received a majority, voting continued down the classes until a candidate achieved an absolute majority.
🏙️ The Tribal Assembly, in contrast, elected lower-ranked offices and was less biased towards the wealthy, but still favored the interests of rich Italian landowners.
👥 The Plebeian Assembly was the only assembly where the urban poor could dominate, electing Plebeian Aediles and Tribunes of the Plebs.
📝 This assembly also provided a straightforward approval to Senate legislation, with no amendments or debate allowed.

Q & A

What was the central political institution in the Roman Republic?
-The Senate was the center of political life in the Roman Republic.
What was the first step for a person to be appointed to the Senate?
-To be appointed to the Senate, a person first had to be elected to the office of Quaestor by the people.
How many different types of Public Assemblies were responsible for electing politicians in the Roman Republic?
-There were three different Public Assemblies responsible for electing politicians.
Which Public Assembly was considered the most prestigious and elected which officials?
-The most prestigious Public Assembly was called The Assembly of the Centuries, which elected the highest-ranking Roman officials such as Consuls, Praetors, and Censors.
What was the role of Censors in the context of the Senate?
-Censors were highly respected ex-Consuls who were in charge of keeping the official membership rolls for the Senate. They also conducted an official census, which assessed the net worth of each citizen and divided them into different classes.
How were the voting blocs in the Assembly of the Centuries determined?
-The classes determined how people voted in the Assembly of the Centuries. There were 8 different classes, further subdivided by wealth and age into 193 voting blocs.
Which class had the most voting blocs and why were they influential?
-The Patricians, the most prestigious families in Rome, had 6 voting blocs and were influential due to their history of public service and their positions as either senators or the sons of senators.
How did the voting process work in the Assembly of the Centuries?
-Each bloc voted internally, and when a winner was decided, the bloc cast their one vote before the entire assembly. The voting continued down the classes until one candidate received an absolute majority.
What was the role of the Tribal Assembly in the Roman Republic's political system?
-The Tribal Assembly was responsible for filling some of the lower-ranked offices such as military tribunes, quaestors, and curule aediles. It also elected the Pontifex Maximus and could vote on less important matters and ratify legislation.
How was the Plebeian Assembly different from the other two assemblies?
-The Plebeian Assembly, also known as the Council of the Plebs, only allowed Plebeians to vote. It was presided over by a Tribune of the Plebs and was the only body where the urban poor could dominate.
What was the significance of the Plebeian Assembly in terms of legislation?
-The Plebeian Assembly was the body that almost always gave its rubber-stamp approval to Senate legislation. Once a bill passed the Plebeian Assembly, it became law without the possibility of amendments or debate.
How did the political dynamics in the late Republic affect the election of Tribunes of the Plebs?
-In the late Republic, with increased political violence and gridlock in the Senate, the Plebeian Assembly began to elect a series of extreme Tribunes of the Plebs, possibly as a response to feeling muzzled in the other assemblies.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Senate and Public Assemblies in the Roman Republic

This paragraph discusses the central role of the Senate in the Roman Republic's political life and the process of election to the Senate and higher offices. It introduces the concept of Public Assemblies and their significance in the election process. The Assembly of the Centuries is highlighted as the most prestigious, responsible for electing high-ranking officials like Consuls, Praetors, and Censors. The paragraph also explains the structure of Roman society, divided into classes that influenced voting power in the Assembly of the Centuries. Patricians and Equites, being the top classes, had significant influence despite their small numbers. The voting process involved a complex system where different classes and blocs voted sequentially, with the potential for the urban poor to influence outcomes in the case of ties.

05:03

🗳️ The Election Process and the Role of Classes

The second paragraph delves deeper into the voting process within the Assembly of the Centuries. It explains that each bloc, regardless of its size, had an equal vote, and elections for similar positions occurred simultaneously, requiring blocs to rank candidates. The voting order started with junior blocs from the first class and proceeded through various classes and groups, with pauses for tabulation and potential consensus. If no candidate received a majority, voting continued down the classes until a winner emerged. The paragraph also contrasts this process with the Tribal Assembly, which elected lower-ranked offices and had a different voting structure based on geographic tribes rather than wealth classes. The Tribal Assembly was biased towards the urban poor in Rome but favored wealthy Italian landowners overall due to the practicalities of attendance.

10:08

👥 The Plebeian Assembly and its Democratic Aspects

The final paragraph focuses on the Plebeian Assembly, also known as the Council of the Plebs, which was exclusive to Plebeians and presided over by a Tribune of the Plebs. This assembly conducted straightforward majority votes, making it the most democratic aspect of Roman politics. It was also the primary body for approving Senate legislation without amendments or debate. The Plebeian Assembly elected Plebeian Aediles and Tribunes of the Plebs, with the urban poor having a significant influence. The paragraph also suggests that the lack of representation for the poor in other assemblies may have contributed to the rise of extreme Tribunes of the Plebs in the late Republic.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Senate

The Senate was the central political institution in the Roman Republic, consisting of appointed members who were often ex-magistrates. Senators played a crucial role in legislation, administration, and representing the interests of the aristocracy. In the video, the Senate's significance is highlighted by its connection to the eligibility of Quaestors and the process of electing higher offices.

💡Quaestor

A Quaestor was a Roman magistrate who was first elected by the people and subsequently appointed to the Senate. The position of Quaestor was a stepping stone to higher offices within the Roman Republic. The video explains that to be appointed to the Senate, one had to be elected as a Quaestor.

💡Public Assemblies

Public Assemblies were the bodies responsible for electing politicians in the Roman Republic. There were three different types, each with its own rules and electorates. They were central to the democratic process of the Roman Republic, as depicted in the video, where they elected different politicians based on the class system and voting blocs.

💡Assembly of the Centuries

This was the most prestigious Public Assembly, which elected the highest-ranking Roman officials, including Consuls, Praetors, and Censors. It was structured around the Roman class system, with Patricians and Equites having significant influence due to their voting blocs. The video describes how this assembly functioned and its importance in the election process.

💡Censors

Censors were respected ex-Consuls who managed the official membership rolls for the Senate. They also conducted the official census, dividing citizens into classes based on wealth. In the video, Censors are shown to be integral to the validation of new Quaestors as Senate members by adding them to the Senate list.

💡Patricians

Patricians were the most prestigious families in Rome, known for their history of public service. They constituted a small but influential group within the Senate. The video emphasizes their importance by highlighting their six voting blocs and their role in the Assembly of the Centuries.

💡Equites

The Equites were the top 0.1% of Roman society, very wealthy individuals who were considered an aristocratic class with special privileges. Despite their wealth, they were not Patricians and their class membership was contingent upon maintaining their riches. In the video, their 12 voting blocs are noted to demonstrate their political influence.

💡Voting Blocs

Voting blocs were divisions within the Assembly of the Centuries based on wealth and age. They determined how people voted and were crucial to the election of officials. The video outlines how these blocs operated, with each bloc casting one vote regardless of its size or the strength of support for a candidate.

💡Proletarii

The proletarii were the urban poor of Rome, those with no property or savings. They constituted the largest group but were allotted only one voting bloc. The video illustrates their limited political power, highlighting that they only mattered in the case of a tie during elections.

💡Tribal Assembly

The Tribal Assembly was another Public Assembly that filled some lower-ranked offices and elected the Pontifex Maximus. Unlike the Assembly of the Centuries, it did not overtly favor the rich and voting was randomized. The video describes how this assembly operated and its role in electing officials and ratifying legislation.

💡Plebeian Assembly

Also known as the Council of the Plebs, this assembly was exclusive to Plebeians, allowing them to elect Plebeian Aediles and Tribunes of the Plebs. It provided a more democratic process, as it was a straightforward vote with no amendments or debate allowed. The video emphasizes its role in approving Senate legislation and its significance for the urban poor.

Highlights

The Senate was central to the political life in the Roman Republic.

Election to the Senate required first being elected as Quaestor by the people.

Three different Public Assemblies were responsible for electing politicians with distinct rules and elected positions.

The Assembly of the Centuries was the most prestigious and elected high-ranking officials like Consuls, Praetors, and Censors.

Censors were ex-Consuls who maintained the Senate's membership rolls and conducted the official census.

The voting system in the Assembly of the Centuries was based on wealth and age with 193 voting blocs.

Patricians and Equites, the top social classes, had significant influence despite comprising only 9% of voting blocs.

The first class of Roman citizens, the wealthiest non-aristocrats, had 80 voting blocs, the most of any class.

The proletarii, the urban poor, had the least voting power with just one voting bloc.

Voting in the Assembly of the Centuries was weighted equally per bloc, regardless of the number of people or support for a candidate.

Elections were conducted simultaneously for the same type of office, requiring blocs to rank their top candidates.

Voting continued down the classes until a candidate received an absolute majority, at which point they were announced as the winner.

The Tribal Assembly elected lower-ranked offices and had a different voting structure without overt bias towards the rich.

The Tribal Assembly's voting was randomized, giving each tribe an equal chance to be heard, but still favored the interests of rich Italian landowners.

The Plebeian Assembly was the only body where the urban poor could dominate and was responsible for approving Senate legislation without amendments or debate.

The Plebeian Assembly elected Plebeian Aediles and Tribunes of the Plebs, with a simple yes or no vote.

By the late Republic, the Plebeian Assembly began electing extreme Tribunes of the Plebs, possibly due to the lack of representation in other assemblies.

Transcripts

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Takeaways

Q & A

What was the central political institution in the Roman Republic?

What was the first step for a person to be appointed to the Senate?

How many different types of Public Assemblies were responsible for electing politicians in the Roman Republic?

Which Public Assembly was considered the most prestigious and elected which officials?

What was the role of Censors in the context of the Senate?

How were the voting blocs in the Assembly of the Centuries determined?

Which class had the most voting blocs and why were they influential?

How did the voting process work in the Assembly of the Centuries?

What was the role of the Tribal Assembly in the Roman Republic's political system?

How was the Plebeian Assembly different from the other two assemblies?

What was the significance of the Plebeian Assembly in terms of legislation?

How did the political dynamics in the late Republic affect the election of Tribunes of the Plebs?