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System and politics offers interesting facts about the system of government, state institutions, and mechanisms of governance in ancient Rome. This category includes lesser-known facts and interesting details related to the functioning of the republic and empire, offices, political decisions, and the behind-the-scenes public life of the Roman Empire.
The office of the tribune of the plebs in ancient Rome was formed at the beginning of the republic, probably at the beginning of the 5th century BCE. In 494 BCE in the face of the rebellion of the plebeians, the aristocracy made some concessions. The compromise of 494 BCE resulted in the establishment of the office of the people’s tribune.
The Exarchate of Africa, also known as Carthaginian, was an administrative region in the Byzantine Empire including Mauritania, Numidia, Proconsular Africa, Sardinia, Corsica, the Balearic Islands and part of the southern coast of today’s Spain, founded by Emperor Maurice around 590 CE.
Political violence has existed in Rome for a long time. Often there were fights or scuffles between supporters of various candidates. However, 57 BCE took the violence to a new level.
Not everyone in ancient Rome dreamed of holding high and prestigious offices. Retor and sophist from the 2nd century CE Aelius Aristides, a Greek from Asia Minor, one of Asclepius’ most ardent followers, is an example of persistent avoidance of service to the state, and he did it extremely effectively.
The crisis of the Roman republic in the first century BCE largely resulted from the degeneration of Rome’s political life. The goal of individual politicians was not healing res publici and reforming the state, but private interests and climbing up the steps cursus honorum, and then be able to gain wealth.
In the third century CE the rulers of Rome began gradually to depart from the appearances of the Republic. The growing political ambitions of the emperors led to the expulsion of the rest of the institutions. Aurelian introduced the dominant system in the second half of the 3rd century CE, taking the title dominus et deus (“Our Lord and God”). Diocletian made at the end of the 3rd century CE reconstruction of the state administration, creating a tetrarchy system.
