Themes: Competition - only meaningful if death is on the line; world of politics and sport are essentially the same
- Anima
- Numen
- Virtus
Internal Politics - primarily domain of patricians
patricians had:
- allies and money
- training included rhetoric and warfare
- deep and wide social network
Cursus Honorum
(course of honors; path to power)
Magistrates:
quester - aid to magistrate; access to the Senate; apprenticeship
aedile - manager of city grain and public works (temples, aquaducts, roads); building inspector; fire marshall; extremely lucrative and dangerous position
praetor - imperium=immunity from indictment and power to impose death penalty; lead an army; function as judges in legal system both civil and criminal; law enforcement for Mos Maiorum (will of the ancestors)
consul -imperium; chief executive officers; command Roman military; power propose, prevent or veto legislation
Tyranny Prevention (based on two principles)
- annuality - all elected office terms one year; non-consecutive terms allowed
- collegiality - more than one individual for each office; power divided and disperssed
Elections [patrician]
religious festivals (Jupiter Optimus Maximus)
all citizens vote according to class: wealthiest - to - proletarian
process primarily controlled by the wealthiest citizens
Elections [plebian]
tribunes elected only to represent plebian tribes
Senate
lifetime membership; representatives and power derived of Jupiter; advisory (Senatus Consultum) but no legislative power; foreign and military policy makers
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