Roman Constitutional History

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Excerpt from Roman Constitutional History: 753-44 B. C The object of this book is to provide collateral reading for students of Latin, to supplement the ordinary school histories of Rome, and, especially, to furnish an introduction to a thorough study of the political institutions of the Roman republic. The denarius has been valued at twenty-two cents, and the sestertius at five and a half cents. In statements concerning the census and the number of citizens, the year when the censors were elected has been given. Whenever the letters a.d. have not been added, dates always refer to the time b.c. For the convenience of readers who have not studied Latin, nearly all technical terms have been translated. Of the many eminent authorities on Roman Constitutional History and Law, I am by far the most indebted to Theodor Mommsen, Ernst Herzog, Ludwig Lange, and Pierre Willems. I wish also to acknowledge my great obligations to Professors F. W. Kelsey and J. H. Drake of Michigan University, and Professors J. S. Clark and J. B. Pike of the University of Minnesota. The General Editors of this Series have read with the greatest care both the manuscript and the proofs, and have throughout rendered invaluable assistance. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

There is no other published book in English studying the constitution of the Roman Republic as a whole. Yet the Greek historian Polybius believed that the constitution was a fundamental cause of the exponential growth of Rome's empire. He regarded the Republic as unusual in two respects: first, because it functioned so well despite being a mix of monarchy, oligarchy and democracy; secondly, because the constitution was the product of natural evolution rather than the ideals of a lawgiver. Even if historians now seek more widely for the causes of Rome's rise to power, the importance and influence of her political institutions remains. The reasons for Rome's power are both complex, on account of the mix of elements, and flexible, inasmuch as they were not founded on written statutes but on unwritten traditions reinterpreted by successive generations. Knowledge of Rome's political institutions is essential both for ancient historians and for those who study the contribution of Rome to the republican tradition of political thought from the Middle Ages to the revolutions inspired by the Enlightenment.

Excerpt from A Constitutional and Political History of Rome: From the Earliest Times, to the Reign of Domitian I have been led to write this History by the want I have often felt of a text-book, dealing with the origin and growth of the Roman institutions, which should be accessible to those not equipped with a knowledge of French and German. My aim has been to give students of Roman History, who are reading that subject in conjunction with many others, and whose time is necessarily limited, a short account of the growth of the Roman constitution and the problems with which it is surrounded. Generally I have followed the ideas of the leading writers on the subject; where I have ventured to differ from them I have done so with diffidence, and only after careful consideration of the available evidence. In preparing this book I have used freely the English Translation of Mommsen's History of Rome, Professor Pelham's 'Outlines of Roman History,' the works of Herzog and Willems, and, in the first chapter, the late Professor Seeley's Introduction to Livy, Book I. I have acknowledged other obligations in the notes, which I have reduced to the smallest possible compass. A select list of authorities is subjoined. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.