Plebs and Politics in the Late Roman Republic

by Henrik Mouritsen

Overview

This book deals with popular political participation in republican Rome. It contributes to an ongoing debate about the role of the people in the running of the Roman state, asking whether they had any real say or had been marginalized by the elite. It approaches the issue from a practical perspective, looking at the way political meetings and assemblies functioned and at the crowds that took part. The book thus puts the current discussion about Roman "democracy" on a new footing, and places it in a social context.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521791007
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/07/2001
Pages:	172
Product dimensions:	6.22(w) x 9.29(h) x 0.67(d)
Lexile:	1440L (what's this?)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction: ideology and practice in Roman politics; 2. The scale of late republican politics; 3. The contio; 4. Legislative assemblies; 5. Elections; 6. Plebs and politics; Appendix: the 'Lex Licinia de sodalitatibus'; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"This book offers a fresh review of the evidence regarding the voting power of the populus Romanus in legislative and elective assemblies...this book will most benefit those with a backgroud in republican politics...this is an important book and makes a vital contribution to the on-going debate about the nature of politics in late republican Rome...What makes this book especially appealing is that M. touches upon many issues currently under debate by historians while keeping in sight his purpose of determining the extent to which the common people excerised it prerogative to vote." BMCR 2001

From the Publisher