Plebs and Politics in the Late Roman Republic (Google eBook)
Plebs and Politics in the Late Roman Republic analyses the political role of the masses in a profoundly aristocratic society. Constitutionally the populus Romanus wielded almost unlimited powers, controlling legislation and the election of officials, a fact which has inspired 'democratic' readings of the Roman republic. In this book a distinction is drawn between the formal powers of the Roman people and the practical realization of these powers. The question is approached from a quantitative as well as a qualitative perspective, asking how large these crowds were, and how their size affected their social composition. Building on those investigations, the different types of meetings and assemblies are analysed. The result is a picture of the place of the masses in the running of the Roman state, which challenges the 'democratic' interpretation, and presents a society riven by social conflicts and a widening gap between rich and poor.
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
ambitus assemblies audience ballot bill boni bribery bribes Caesar campaigning candidates canvassing centuriae Cicero Cisalpine Gaul citizens claimed clientela clients Clodius comitia centuriata comitia tributa Comitium Comm Commentariolum concilium plebis consul consular election context contiones crowd de®ned de®nition democracy democratic dif®cult electoral elite example favours formal Forum freedmen Gracchus gure identi®ed ideological important in¯uence issue Italian late republic late republican politics Lex Gabinia Lex Licinia libertas Livy lled lower classes magistrates masses meetings Millar mobilisation nobles of®ce of®ce-holding of®cials organised passed Planc Plancius plebeians plebs contionalis Plut political class politicians Polybius Pompey popular participation population populus Romanus practice probably propertied classes question re¯ect reference represented Roman politics Roman republic Rome Rullus Saepta Scipio Scipio Aemilianus second century seems senate senate's senatorial Sest signi®cant social sodalitates speci®c structure suf®cient suggests tribal tribes tribus turned urban plebs Vanderbroeck vote voters