| The late Republic period of Rome was one of the | | | | were also given a veto which they could use to |
| most violent and destructive eras in Ancient | | | | stop any other new laws that they didn't like |
| times. One of the reasons for this was an on | | | | from going through. |
| going conflict between two political factions that | | | | This system worked well for over a hundred |
| emerged during the period - the Optimates and | | | | years, but it started to break down during the |
| the Populares. Supporters of these factions often | | | | second century BC. This was because rich Roman |
| clashed with each other on the streets and at | | | | aristocrats were systematically buying up small |
| political meetings, which led to a growing feeling of | | | | Italian farms. The farmers that had been bought |
| anarchy in the city. | | | | out tended to travel to Rome, where they |
| To understand how this came about we have to | | | | became part of the 'urban mob' - the unemployed |
| go far back into Rome's past. When the city | | | | masses. |
| became a republic in 509 BC, a small group of | | | | The Populares faction was born out of a group of |
| aristocratic families called 'Patricians' dominated its | | | | politicians who wanted to help these poor people. |
| government. The everyday people of Rome, who | | | | The problem was that this help would always be |
| were called the 'Plebes', had very little political | | | | directly against the interests of the rich senators. |
| rights. The Patricians were a selfish bunch, and | | | | Naturally, these rich men resisted strongly, and |
| took advantage of the Plebes in order to make | | | | made their own faction - the Optimates (which |
| themselves wealthy. Unsurprisingly the plebes | | | | meant 'the best men') to oppose the Populares. |
| were unhappy with this situation, so the first 200 | | | | For the next one hundred years the Populares |
| years of the republic's history was dominated by | | | | would use the tribal assembly to pass through bills |
| a struggle between these two groups. | | | | to help the urban mob, while the Optimates tried |
| On a number of occasions during the early | | | | to restrict the power of the tribal assemblies and |
| republic, the Plebes became so fed up that they | | | | the Tribunes, preferring to conserve the power |
| packed up and left the city. They literally went on | | | | of the Roman senate. |
| strike. This was bad news for the Patricians, | | | | Notable members of Populares faction were |
| because they needed the Plebes to protect the | | | | Tiberius Gracchus, Marius and Julius Caesar. |
| city. In order to tempt them back, the Patricians | | | | Famous Optimates were Sulla, Cato and Pompey |
| always offered them some political concessions. In | | | | (although Pompey sided with the Populares during |
| this way the plebes gradually received more and | | | | the middle part of his career). |
| more rights until, by 287 BC, their status was | | | | Arguments between the two groups often grew |
| virtually equal with the Patricians. | | | | violent, and there was frequent rioting in the city. |
| The two most important concessions that the | | | | Eventually there was a complete breakdown of |
| Plebes received between 509 - 287 BC were the | | | | law and order which ultimately led to a series of |
| 'Tribal assembly' and 'Tribunes'. The Tribal | | | | civil wars. The eventual winner of these wars was |
| assembly was a voting council which the Plebes | | | | Octavian - Julius Caesar's adopted son. He was |
| could use to make their own laws. At first these | | | | able to take advantage of the situation to have |
| laws were only binding on the plebes themselves, | | | | himself proclaimed as 'Augustus' - the first Roman |
| but by 287 BC they applied to everyone. The | | | | emperor. This brought the era of the Optimates |
| Tribunes were men who the plebes elected, who | | | | and Populares factions to and end. |
| could propose new laws to the assembly. They | | | | |