How Does the Roman Government Work

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Roman Government
Roman political power is divided between the assemblies, the Senate and the magistrates.


The Senate

The Senate (Senatus) was supposedly the advisory council of the State, which existed to advise and give counsel to the magistrates. In reality, it usurped authority and became the chief governing power of the Republic. In history, the senate possessed no formal power to pass legislation into law, however for our purposes, the other assemblies which historically rubber stamped legislation have been absorbed into the senate as an amalgamation for gameplay purposes. In other words, players are considered to have proportional power in all of the assemblies of Rome, so to streamline gameplay, all voting will take place in the Senate.

There are currently 300 Senators.

Powers of the Senate

Ω Discussion of new legislation before it was voted upon

Ω Suspension of ordinary law in times of emergency (Senatus
Consultum Ultimum), i.e. martial law

Ω Control of finances, taxation, and state religion

Ω Management of provinces and foreign affairs

It is assumed that the overall Senate will mostly vote in line with the player votes depending somewhat on party lines. There may be exceptions for very contentious and outrageous votes, but until players start accruing significant numbers of senators in their Powerbase, the senate will most likely rubber stamp what the overall playerbase decides.

Senate Procedure:

The Consul or Presiding magistrate controls the agenda.

When introducing the legislation, the presiding magistrate would sometimes put forward a specific proposal for action to be taken by himself and / or other magistrates. If there was debate on the leggislature, one or more alternative proposals might be put forward by members of the senate.

The presiding magistrate had complete freedom in deciding what to do about these proposals. He could put a proposal to a vote exactly as it had originally been suggested, or he could make changes to it, or he could refuse to put it to a vote at all. He could create entirely new proposals which had not been discussed during the debate. He was not, in fact, obliged to put any proposals to a vote at all. Normally, however, at least one proposal would be put to a vote, and it would normally be one which had been discussed during the debate. The presiding magistrate also had freedom to decide in which order he would put proposals to a vote, and the result of one vote might influence his decision about which, if any, proposal to put forward next.

Your Powerbase It is possible for players to accrue more than one vote through patronage, influence, dignitas, etc. It will be largely secret how many senate votes you have. The real tally for votes will happen behind the scenes when the admin determines pass or fail.



Magistrates(Magistratus)

The Roman sense of duty, honor and the achievement of nobility was based on the concept of civic service. This was achieved by holding a magisterial position, a limited number of which were available each year.

What is Imperium? - Imperium represents the power invested in a Roman Magistrate. A Magistrate which holds Imperium is protected from prosecution. Imperium granted holders protection from bodyguards (Lictors). The level of Imperium depended on how high your position was. The only individuals allowed to command military forces held Imperium at a level of Praetor, or Consul. The actions of a magistrate could be Vetoed by that of someone with more Imperium. In other words, a Consul could Overrule a Praetor, a Praetor could overrule a Quaestor, etc.

Consul - Each had the power to veto any act performed by their colleague and for the majority of the Republic the consuls would also take the field, commanding the legions. They held full Imperium allowing them to:
Ω Take the auspices
Ω Command the army and navy
Ω Issue edicts and proclamations
Ω Summon and act as chairmen over the Senate or Assemblies

Each Consul is granted two legions by default each year. The Consul is unable to unilaterally declare war on recognized powers, however theoretically he could make war upon the less organized tribes without much hassle, especially if they were threatening to Roman territory. It would be mostly frowned upon to do this without the Senate's blessing.

* You can be Consul in successive years, however, it is frowned upon to run for successive terms. Most would seek a pro-consul term instead before seeking the Consul position again.


Praetor - Prætors were judges who administered the courts of justice. They also served as administrators of the provinces and field commanders when asked to lead a military force.

The highest ranked was the Prætor Urbanus, who heard civil cases between citizens in the city of Rome itself. By default he became the chief magistrate when the consuls left the city. In simple terms, he can be considered the third in charge of the Republic.

Four Praetors governed the provinces or led military commands. The Senate was responsible for assigning these four Praetors to their command, be it Governor, or in charge of a Legion to lead offensive action, or organizing the defense of a particular area. As holders of Imperium, there is a relatively large latitude of what they may do.

Aediles - These magistrates supervised and maintained the public places of the city – managing streets, baths, sewers, market places, and temples. They were also in charge of the grain supply and the public games.

Quaestor - The lowest elective office, quæstors were the administrators, bookkeepers and paymasters for the treasury, grain office, and provincial governors. 8 Are elected every year. Two remain in Rome, the others go to the provinces.

Pro-Magistrates

A Pro-Praetor, or a Pro-Consul, has been granted an extra year on his term by the senate. This is only allowed to be granted to those outside of the Rome city limits. Practically, this is used so that commanders in the field do not need to turn over their command at the end of their year in office. More commonly it has been used to allow magistrates to remain in power in the province that they govern.


Concilium Plebis – This assembly elected plebeian ædiles and tribunes. It also could legislate upon almost anything except the declaration of an offensive war. Only Plebeians vote here, and it is presided over by a Tribune of the Plebs. Many laws are passed here. Laws passed here have the potential to get you killed if it overly upsets the senatorial class. Nobody, bar a Tribune of the Plebs or Dictator, has veto power over the Concilium Plebis.

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The Revenues of Rome Explained

I would like to explain some of the Revenue sources of Rome so that it is clear about the origin.

Property Tax (Tributa): This is a general property tax, all must pay it who own property. At the game start, the tax rate is 3/1000. In other words, for every 1,000 Denarii of property you own, you owe 3 Denarii to the state. This tax level varied over the years and can be set by the Senate with a simple vote. In times of plenty, it would be lowed, and in times of strife, raised.

Carthage Indemnity: Carthage pays this indemnity yearly, for fifty total years. Last payment in 151BC. Indemnities are a large source of revenue for the Republican Era. Winning a war against a rich opponent could grant tens of millions of Denarii. Winning a war against a tribe in the Balkans might grant you nothing.
Macedonian Indemnity: Macedonia pays this indemnity yearly, for five years. Last payment in 192BC
Spanish Mines: Yearly revenues from the mines in southern Hispania
Public Land: Receipts from tenants who allow their livestock to graze on public land
Harbor Dues: Receipts from harbor dues at home and in provinces, in addition to Customs dues, etc.
Tenant Fees: Rents from Tenants of state-owned shops, especially in the Roman forum.
Salt Tax: Revenues from state owned Salt-works
Slave Tax: a 5% tax on the manumission of Slaves
Grain Tithe: Farmers must submit a portion of their harvest to Rome as a mandated tithe. This is generally only levied on the provinces.

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Governors

The Roman governor can be a Propraetor or a Proconsul.

The Governor Is considered the financial agent of the Senate. His job is to be the caretaker of the province, and to collect the taxes that are owed to the Roman state. His job is to forward this money to Rome itself so that the Senate can spend it on the Republic. The Governor possesses the authority to mint coins in the name of the Senate and can, from time to time, where appropriate, spend some of the revenues on the upkeep or expansion of the province.

The Governor is the highest legal official in the province and serves as Chief Judge, doling out punishments where necessary or appropriate.

The Governor can command Legions, although he may not raise them himself, the Senate is the only authority which can raise a proper Legion. The Governor may raise and command auxiliary and militia troops for the defense of the province.