How did the Roman Republic work?
The Roman Republic refers to institutions and conflicts between monarchy and imperial rule.
Historical context and developments
Senate, elected magistrates and popular assemblies had different roles. Citizenship and political participation were unequal; women, enslaved people and many provincial residents were excluded. Conquest redistributed wealth and military power.
Consequences and interpreting sources
Civil wars in the first century BCE weakened republican institutions, and a new order emerged under Augustus. A simple freedom-to-tyranny formula misses deeper social tensions.
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