Roman Law Ancient

Carol D. Salgado

10/06/2013

Roman Law Ancient Roman law has always been very interesting and important. Back in those days their government consists of an emperor. The emperor stood at the top of the administrative system. They also had an executive branch or elected magistrates. The Romans had a legislative branch as well. The functions of the Roman senate had a very important influence in our way of government today.

The emperor served as military commander in chief, court of appeal, high priest, and source of law. Soldiers swore their oath to the emperor and not to a constitution or flag. Personal ties of friendship, patronage, and marriage had always bound together Roman society, but during the empire the emperor became the universal patron. Bureaucracy, imperial succession, and military loyalty were all viewed in personal terms. That concentration of power produced a court in which the imperial family and government officials competed with astrologers, slaves, doctors, actors, and poets for the emperor’s attention and favor. The emperors also took over the senate’s legislative and political power, but they needed the help of senators who had experience in government, military command, and diplomacy.

Their executive branch had an annual tenure with the exception of the censorship which was for about 18 months and of the dictatorship which was for 6 months. The name of each office was consuls, praetors, aediles, quaestors, tribunes, censors, and dictator. The term of office was limited to one year. Praetors administered civil law at Rome. A dictator was appointed by consuls in time of military emergency and he was not subject to veto.

The legislative branch was 3 citizen assemblies. The 3 assemblies included the entire electorate. Each had a different internal organization and therefore there was a difference in the weight of an individual citizen’s vote. All 3 were made up of voting units. The names of the assemblies were curiate assembly, centuriate assembly, and the tribal assembly.

The functions of the Roman senate were unique. They were originally an advisory board composed of the heads of patrician families. They came to be an assembly of former magistrates. The functions of the Roman senate also were the most powerful organ of the Republican government ant the only body of state that could develop consistent long term policy. Without the laws and the government of the Romans I honestly feel as if life wouldn’t b the same without them.

References

Law in Ancient Rome, The Twelve Tables - Crystalinks. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.crystalinks.com/romelaw.html

University South Carolina (2010).

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