How did the decline of the Roman republic affect the governing of Rome?

Answer 1

The weakened elected government fell prey to struggles among competitors to become Emperor, which became the dominant position following the death of Julius Caesar. This led to several civil wars.

Answer 2

Empire and Republic describe different concepts. Rome got an empire after it defeated Carthage in 202 BCE. Its system of government was republican (res publica = things in common).

The words 'empire' and 'emperor' did not exist in those days. Imperium meant authority, and a general could be hailed on a battlefield by his troops as Imperator - not a political title.

Today we use the terms emperor and empire loosely. Historians carefully call the period from Octavian Augustus onwards (after 27 BCE) as the Principate as his official title was Princeps - first citizen - and he took on the non-political word Augustus for status only. Anything that could not be associated with Dictator for Life/King which brought out the knives against his adoptive father Julius Caesar.

To the question:
Augustus kept the Senate governing but kept a background control by reserve powere:a. Powers (not office) of a tribune of the plebs - immunity in the city, power to introduce laws to the Senate. b. Powers of a pro-consul outside the city - immunity, command of legions.c. Control of the border provinces - where the legions were; the other provinces he left to the Senate.

This gave him an over-riding power, but in the background. This lasted for nearly two centuries, known as the Principate, after which a more dominant rulership emerged which we call the Dominate, where the title emperor would be appropriate.

Augustus also promoted improvements in living standards, kept down pretenders to rulership, and ended imperial expansion, trying to establish defendable borders. While his successors did acquire additional territories, they did not follow Julius Caesar's ambition to follow Alexander's footsteps and take take over Asia as well.

Answer 3

The decline of the Republic led to its downfall. After a several of civil wars Augustus became the first Roman emperor and the 503 years of rule by emperors started. The emperor was an absolute ruler, the senate became an instrument for the exercise of his power and the officers of state were appointed by the emperor instead of being elected.

Answer 4

The Roman Republic fell under the weight of imperial expansion. The central government had become dysfunctional, and lost control over the provinces (conquered territories). The governors of the provinces became unruly and treated their provinces as if they were their personal fiefs. Tax collection in the provinces was carried out by private collectors who 'farmed' the taxes to line their pockets through extortion, which created discontent in the provinces. Corruption was rampant. A reform of military recruitment made the soldiers loyal to the commanders of their legions who could use them to obtain what they wanted through the threat of or the use of military violence. In 71 BC Crassus and Pompey camped their troops outside Rome to have themselves elected as consuls (the two annually elected heads of the Republic). Pompey was not even eligible on the grounds of being below the required age and of not having served some public offices which were required before the consulship. In the last 64 years of the Republic there were 12 civil wars. In 88 BC Sulla entered the city of Rome with his troops during his first civil war against forces of Marius, even though Roman religion forbade the bearing of arms within the city walls.

Another problem in the Late Republic was the increase in the number of dispossessed peasants who lost their land to the expanding large landed estates which used slaves, who were war captives. These people flocked to Rome to try to eke out a living, swelling the masses of the poor in the city. The problem of poverty became a political hot potato which led to the conflict between the populares and the optimates. The former was a political faction which championed the cause of the poor and tried to introduce reforms to help them. The latter was a conservative political faction which favoured the aristocracy and opposed reforms. The senators were seen as being concerned with the interests of the aristocracy, rather than those of the poor and were unpopular among the middle and lower classes. They were also seen as being corrupt. Many of the civil wars were related to clashes between strong military leaders and the conflict between populares and optimates spilling into violence.

Julius Caesar waged a civil war against the forces of the senate and assumed sole power in Rome (the Republic was normally headed by two annually elected consuls) for five years and tried to tackle Rome's problems. However, he was assassinated. More civil wars followed his death. Augustus won the final civil war of the Republic, which was a fight with Marc Antony over who would become the sole ruler of Rome and her territories. He gained control over the army and amassed great wealth through the spoil of war. He used both to establish his own absolute rule and became the first Roman emperor. His tight control over the state restored a strong central government and political stability. Rule by emperors continued for 503 years

Answer 5

The government of the Roman Empire led to its downfall. With political corruption, civil wars, and military weakness, Rome was crumbling while getting battered on the outside.