Definition

1. Proper Noun:
   • The Roman Republic: The period and political system of ancient Rome from the overthrow of the monarchy in 509 BC until the establishment of the Roman Empire under Augustus in 27 BC. It was characterized by a government with elected magistrates and advisory bodies, most notably the Senate.

Usage

• The Roman Republic is studied as a foundational model for many modern republican systems of government.
• Historians often contrast the political structures of the Roman Republic with those of the preceding Roman Kingdom and the subsequent Roman Empire.
• The expansion of Roman territory and influence occurred significantly during the centuries of the Roman Republic.

Examples

• The phrase "SPQR" (Senatus Populusque Romanus) was an emblem of the Roman Republic.
• Many of Cicero's speeches and writings provide detailed insight into the politics of the late Roman Republic.
• The Punic Wars against Carthage were a defining series of conflicts for the Roman Republic.

Advanced Usage

• "The Fall/Collapse of the Roman Republic": A common historical term referring to the period of civil wars and political crises in the 1st century BC that ended the Republic.
  • The assassination of Julius Caesar was a pivotal event in the collapse of the Roman Republic.
• "Republican Rome": A synonymous phrase often used to specify the Republican era as distinct from Imperial Rome.
  • The army of Republican Rome was primarily a citizen militia.

Variants and Related Words

• Republic (n): A form of government in which power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch. The Roman Republic is a key historical example.
• Republican (adj): Pertaining to or characteristic of a republic. Can specifically refer to the period or systems of the Roman Republic.
  • The republican virtues of duty and civic participation were highly valued.

Synonyms

• Republican Rome: (The most direct synonym, emphasizing the era and its system).
• The Res Publica Romana: (The Latin term from which "Republic" is derived).

Related Phrases / Concepts

• The Senate (Roman Senate): The primary political and advisory council of the Roman Republic.
• The Magistrates: Elected officials (such as Consuls, Praetors, and Tribunes) who held executive power in the Roman Republic.
• The Conflict of the Orders: The long political struggle between the patrician and plebeian classes within the early Roman Republic.
• The Marian Reforms: Significant changes to the Roman army instituted by Gaius Marius in the late Roman Republic.

Noun

1. the ancient Roman state from 509 BC until Augustus assumed power in 27 BC; was governed by an elected Senate but dissatisfaction with the Senate led to civil wars that culminated in a brief dictatorship by Julius Caesar