The Rise Of The Roman Empire - 1428 Words

The Roman Empire is widely regarded as one of, if not the most dominant government to ever exist. Early civilization in Europe was dominated by the Romans, and their constantly growing empire. With the help of Greek political ideas, the Romans adopted one very similar where supreme power is held by the people from their elected representatives. These representatives were a part of the Senate, where all political laws were made and enforced, very similar idea to the type of Senate that exists in America today. Originally, the power was mainly held by the upper class and the senate consisted of 300 individuals of that class. With further Republic development, the Assembly began to select two men each year as consults that held†¦show more content†¦In this government, the people technically had a direct say in government decisions. The citizens chose who they wanted to represent them in the senate. Over the years, more commoners became unhappy with the Roman government because they wanted a share of the wealth that flowed into Rome. With their service in the military over the years, they lost control of their farming lands when they returned. This unfair treatment left them demanding a greater voice in political and economical affairs. The commoners firmly believed with some sort of political power, they would be able to pass laws and distribute the nation’s wealth more fairly. Due to the upper class being outnumbered by the commoners heavily, the Senate felt there was no other choice but to let them have a say. Eventually, the social and political rights expanded and the commoners selected two of their own, known as tribunes, to represent them in the Centuriate Assembly, similar to how the consuls represented the upper class ideas. Throughout time, the commoners (Plebeians) gained their own assembly known as the Plebeian Assembly which elected their own Tribunes and held their own votes amongst the commoners, also known as plebiscites. However, the progression didn’t stop there. The Plebeians gained the freedom to share the land won in war with the upper class (patricians). Gradually, this led to complete equality when their assembly