Roman Republic and Empire Foundations

📋 Course Outline

1. Roman Republic Structure
2. Roman Governance Evolution
3. Key Republican Figures
4. Punic Wars Series
5. Transition to Empire
6. Julio-Claudian Dynasty
7. Pax Romana Period
8. Third Century Crisis
9. Byzantine Empire Rise

📖 1. Roman Republic Structure

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Senate: An advisory council composed mainly of aristocratic families (patricians) that held significant influence over legislation, foreign policy, and financial matters, though it was not a legislative body itself.
• Magistrates: Elected officials responsible for executing laws and managing government functions; key magistrates included:
  • Consuls: The highest elected officials, serving as joint heads of state and military commanders for one-year terms.
  • Praetors: Officials primarily responsible for judicial administration and legal matters.
  • Aediles: Magistrates overseeing public works, markets, and entertainment.
• Popular Assemblies: Democratic bodies where Roman citizens voted on laws and elected magistrates; main assemblies included:
  • Comitia Centuriata: Organized by centuries (military units), responsible for electing consuls and passing major laws.
  • Comitia Tributa: Organized by tribes (geographical districts), responsible for electing lower magistrates and passing laws.
• Patricians and Plebeians: The two social classes; Patricians were aristocratic landowners, Plebeians were commoners with limited…