Roman Republic



Explain the history of the contentious and violent political and social relationship between the Patricians and Plebeians, Optimates and Populares and its impact on the evolution and transformation of the Roman Republic which culminated in the bloody dictatorship of Lucius Cornelius Sulla (82 BCE).When Gracchus died, all hope seemed lost. The Plebeians who had once seen the end to the repercussions of kingship faced a new rising entity: the Senate. This mutual hate embarked the contentious history between the two classes. Far from bridging the social gap, the advent of numerous reformers caused even more violence. The political activities of the leading Optimates and Populares during the late Republic spurred internal conflict, acting as a catalyst to the culmination of the constitution. ????????Gracchus’ death increased senatorial power and deprived the power of the Plebeians, escalating the civil strife as an ultimate effect. Appian said, “after the enactment of the law of Gracchus, by reason of a series of lawsuits, the people were reduced to unemployment” (Appian, The Civil Wars, Book 1). These “series of lawsuits,” which the Senate controlled, damaged the function of a republic where political power resided in all individuals. This stole more power away from the Plebeians who had already suffered much from debt and the unequal distribution of land. Rome’s government paralleled the result the newfound political ideals of Athens brought. Xenophon said, “For the people do not want a good government under which they themselves are slaves” (pseudo-Xenophon, The Old Oligarch, The Constitution of the Athenians). According to Xenophon, a “good government” could not sustain itself when its democratic ideals necessitated all – despite skill and ability -- ?to participate. Realistically, Athens needed only the cleverest of men whose primary focus on their own interests anticipated success only for the upper class. While the upper class argued for this, the lower class resisted them to sustain democracy, threatening Athens’ stability. This, all together, culminated with Hippias’ rise to power. The constitution of the Republic similarly deteriorated, resulting in series of civil wars and political change from Republic to Empire. ???????Marius’ defeat in the civil wars both demolished the Plebeian order and provided Sulla an opportunity to create a new constitution. So overwhelming was Gracchus’ death and the Senate’s gain that the weak Populares struggled to sustain their own faction. Though Marius, like Gracchus, attempted to alleviate their burden, he, too, was assassinated by Sulla and the Optimates. Before Marius’ fall, when he was still well ahead in his military career, “Sulla’s thoughts soared to the Mithridatic war. But here he found a rival in Marius” (Plutarch, Sulla, Book I). Thus, Mithridates was their excuse to fight against each other for prolific glory; however, the fight ultimately turned into a civil war. Rome became so internally corrupt that when Sulla found victory, the so-called republic changed into a dictatorship. According to Plutarch, ?“Sulla feasted the people sumptuously, and his provision for them was so much beyond what was needed that great quantities of meats were daily cast into the river, and wine was drunk that was forty years old and upwards” (Plutarch, Sulla, Book I). Sulla tried to satisfy the lower class to suppress revolts that possibly threatened his position as dictator. At the same time, he, as an Optimate, had to appease the Senate and Patrician order. His duality corrupted Rome even more. The conflict between two social classes resulted in such monumental impact on the history of the Republic, specifically Sulla's dictatorship which transitioned the Roman republic into an Empire. Sulla's negative impact on Rome influenced future successors such as Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus to abuse their power to form the First Triumvirate. Such was the contentious and violent history of the Roman Republic. ................
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