Plebs and Politics in the Late Roman Republic

Examines the role of the people in the running of the Roman state.

Henrik Mouritsen (Author)

9780521044165, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 8 October 2007

172 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 1.1 cm, 0.266 kg

'It is particularly the discussion of the practical aspects of Roman politics that makes this book very interesting. Mouritsen interprets the scarce material on this subject in a convincing manner … he presents enough new and surprising observations to keep the reader fascinated.' Journal of Legal History

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.

Acknowledgements
1. Introduction: ideology and practice in Roman politics
2. The scale of late republican politics
3. The contio
4. Legislative assemblies
5. Elections
6. Plebs and politics
Appendix: the 'Lex Licinia de sodalitatibus'
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA], European history [HBJD]