The Roman Republic The Roman Republic was formed when the last king of Rome was overthrown

in 508BC, and it lasted for 482 years until the imperial period. During the time when Rome was a republic, Rome was ruled by a group of men called the senators. These important men consisted of wealthy Roman citizens; the patricians. Senators decided on many of the decisions required to rule an empire. This included making laws, and controlling the spending of Rome. Senators were not elected. Instead, these men were chosen by the Consuls. The highest ranking in the Roman government is to be a consul. There are 2 consuls in the Roman government, each in office for 1 year. Despite the fact that a consul is the highest rank of the Roman government, consuls can only advise the Senate on making choices. However, the two consuls had the extremely powerful right to control the Roman army. Consuls are Senators that are elected by the Assembly. The Assembly is made up of all the common Roman citizens. This excludes slaves or poor citizens. This class of Romans was called the plebeians. The Assembly did not have a building. Instead, it was expected that the Assembly would gather at the Forum, the marketplace and business centre of Rome, to vote. The Assembly could vote for or against a law, or they could vote to declare war. However, these decisions still rely on the Senate, as it can override the votes.