Beginnings of Political Revolution

• Two hundred years of expansion had brought many changes to Roman society and politics. The wealthy patricians had strengthened their hold on power, and the Senate had become corrupt and self-serving
• Some members of the nobility began to see the need for political reforms to make allowances for the growing number of increasingly impoverished citizens
• The Gracchus brothers, Tiberius and Gaius tried to introduce measures to give some land back to the peasant farmers, reduce the price of food and alleviate Rome's overcrowding
• However, these reforms were very unpopular with the wealthy, and the brothers were murdered along with hundreds of their supporters
• When Roman territory was threatened with invasion by Germanic and Celtic tribes in 109 BC, the Senate and army were unable to deal with the situation because of Rome's internal instability
• Gaius Marius was appointed military commander, he reformed the army by recruiting many of the poorer citizens and had them well trained and equipped
• Once the wars were over, the men looked to their commander for a reward in the form of land of their own. From now on, instead of fighting for Rome, commanders and their armies banded together in pursuit of their own rewards
• As the Senate collapsed further into inefficiency and corruption, power in Rome became the play thing of popular, powerful military generals

• What had the patricians achieved in 200 years? Stengthened political power in the Senate
• Rome had been governed by the Senate, made up of patricians. They were voted into office each year by an Assembly of citizens. Later, some ordinary citizens were able to have their say. What was the Senate like after 200 years? Corrupt and self-serving
• Why did some patricians see a need for political reforms? The increasing number of impoverished citizens
• What reforms did Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus try to introduce? The reduction of food prices and the giving of land to impoverished farmers - reducing population as a result
• How did some wealthy people react?  They murdered the Gracchus brothers
• Why was Roman territory vulnerable to attack from the northern tribes in 109 BC? There was no one to lead
• How were the poor citizens employed at this time? In the army
• How did the attitude of these people change after the wars? The poor banded together to get their own way along with the military
• Into whose hands did power in Rome begin to fall? Powerful military generals

Law and order

• As Rome became more powerful under the Republic, the legal system became more complicated
• A huge code of laws were made by the Senate and groups of Roman citizens
• The laws were sometimes vague. Judges at various trials had to interpret these laws and write their judgements
• As time went by, the laws and punishments began to vary from one province to another
• When Augustus became emperor, the legal system became centralised (e.g more power to the emperor)
• For fraud and theft, the punishment was a fine
• For more serious crimes punishments included: exile, loss of Roman citizenship, or labour in the mines or the galleys
• Death by beheading. stoning or crucifixion awaited those found guilty of desertion from the army or treason