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THE ROLE OF THE SENATE IN IMPERIAL ROME AND HOW THE PRESENCE OF AN EMPEROR AFFECTED IT by (Name) Course:Professor:University: City and State: Date Brief History of Rome “The founding of Rome dates back to the very early days of civilization” (Woolf 2001, p. 312). The place is so old that it earned itself the name ‘the eternal city.’ Modern history believes that the Roman Empire was founded somewhere around 625 BC; however, the Romans themselves believe that their empire was established in 753 BC. Kings were the top governing authorities in the early Roman Empire. However, after the reign of just seven kings, the Romans took possession of their city and started ruling themselves. Instead of Kings, they introduced a council called the Senate which governed them. After the introduction of the Senate, Rome ceased being an empire; it became a republic. The word republic is derived from the Latin word res publica which stands for “matters of the state or public matters” (Woolf 2001, p.319). Under the kings, the senate was only existent to serve as advisors to the king. After becoming a republic, the Roman senators were given the power to appoint a consul who ruled the republic like a king for just a year. Unlike the King, the Consul ruled carefully without any tyranny because he knew he had a short term and once he was out of office, the next Consul could easily punish him for any injustices he carried out against his people. During this period and the period before, Rome maintained four social groups for its residents. The slaves occupied the lowest class in the social hierarchy. They were owned by individuals who allowed them no rights whatsoever. The
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