The Government of Ancient Rome :: essays research papers

Rome is located on the Tiber River in Italy. This environment provided cultivable land, and therefore had good crops. In addition, a peninsula provided entre to the sea on both sides. Rome had a Mediterranean climate, and the Tiber provided sources of water for easy access to the sea and transportation. The Alps and the Apennines provided the water for Rome?s river system, and the ash from near volcanoes provided fertile soil, as to further promote the wellness of the arable land. there were natural harbors, providing trade and economy growth.Rome had a tripartite political relation that maintained elements of monarchy, oligarchy, and re man. Rome?s tripartite g everyplacenment had three branchinges. The branches were executive, legislative, and juridic. The runner branch was the executive branch. The executive branch had magistrates who represented the tradition of monarchy, lead the government and the army, acted as judges and high priests, and occupied the ruling rank onc e held by a king. They also managed tax collection and the livelihood of roads. Consuls, or the two leaders choose by citizen?s representatives, held the highest position of state and powers, and conducted games in the Circus Maximus. They also helped the Genoese merchants and sailors with difficulties with local authorities. Praetors perceive cases, developed much of the civil and criminal law, and some had jurisdiction over important criminal cases. Censors, or the ?moral guardians? of Rome, assessed wealth of citizens, and supervised public morals and management of public finances. The dictator had military control, and was temporarily all-powerful. The dictator also dictated policies in times of need.The second branch was the legislative branch. The legislative branch had a senate that passed many decrees, represented the tradition of oligarchy, assured consuls, and controlled state finances and passed laws. Patricians were the upper class, ran the government, and acted as leaders.The third branch was the judicial branch. The judicial branch had an assembly that represented the democratic element of the roman print republic, placed men in classes according to how much military equipment they could provide, and elected tribunes, or the representatives of the common people, or plebeians. There was a council of plebeians, which had little power, could not hold office, and could not serve as priests, because they were common people.The Roman Republic ensured a system of checks and balances. Checks and balances means to keep any one branch of government from gaining more power than the others gain.