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The Roman Republic

510 BCE – 28 BCE

The king is driven out, and power divided to prevent one-man rule

In depth

The Republic was no democracy: votes were counted by group so that the wealthiest decided before the poor voted at all. But it was remarkably stable, because it gave the plebeians offices of their own — the tribunes — with a power of veto. The American constitution draws directly on this separation of powers, down to the word "senate".

For children

The Romans expelled their last king and decided no one should hold all power alone. Two consuls ruled jointly for a year at a time, advised by a senate. The system lasted five hundred years before it broke down.

Connects to

The Punic Wars265 BCE – 147 BCE
Caesar assassinatedOct 46 BCE
The Roman Empire28 BCE
The US Declaration of IndependenceJul 4, 1776

Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org