05-23-2015, 05:29 PM
I don't think the Roman Republic was ever really stable in its history, it always walked a fine line between class warfare and social inequality. But it never erupted until the later half of the 2nd century BC when violence or that of violence became used to get laws enacted. Once that happened, with the Gracchi, it started a precedent that was impossible to stop until the people exhausted and the state near bankrupt from civil wars.
According to Polybius, and one of the reasons he was a fan of the Roman govt, was because it combined aspects from monarchy (imperium magistrates), oligarchy (the Senate), and democracy (Plebian Assembly), each performing a check and balance over the other. The fall came when the Senate also controlled the magistries and their opponents controlled the People's Assembly, with neither side wall ng to compromise politically to the other.
Now throw in a relatively warlike people and you have a recepy for a rather violent civil war.
According to Polybius, and one of the reasons he was a fan of the Roman govt, was because it combined aspects from monarchy (imperium magistrates), oligarchy (the Senate), and democracy (Plebian Assembly), each performing a check and balance over the other. The fall came when the Senate also controlled the magistries and their opponents controlled the People's Assembly, with neither side wall ng to compromise politically to the other.
Now throw in a relatively warlike people and you have a recepy for a rather violent civil war.
