Magistrates of the Roman Kingdom

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The executive magistrates of the Roman Kingdom were elected officials of the ancient

People of Rome
, and, upon the acquiescence of the Roman Senate, he was granted his Imperium by the people through the popular assembly.

The King of Rome

According to the contemporary historian

Roman King was known as imperium legitimum.[2] This probably meant that the only restriction on the king was that he observe precedent (mos maiorum).[2] This would, for example, suggest (but not require) that he consult with the senate before making decisions. In practice, therefore, the king had no real restrictions on his power. When war broke out, he had the sole power to organize and levy troops, to select leaders for the army, and to conduct the campaign as he saw fit.[2] He controlled all property held by the state, had the sole power to divide land and war spoils, was the chief representative of the city during dealings with either the Gods or leaders of other communities, and could unilaterally decree any new law.[2]
Sometimes he submitted his decrees to either the popular assembly or to the senate for a ceremonial ratification, but a rejection did not prevent the enactment of a decree.

The last of the legendary kings, Tarquin Superbus

The king sometimes abided by the one restriction on his power (that he observe precedent). Sometimes, he abided by this restriction out of practical necessity, and at other times, he abided simply to respect tradition. While the king could unilaterally declare war, for example, he typically wanted to have such declarations ratified by the popular assembly.

iudex) for settlement.[2] In the most serious criminal cases, the king may have referred the case to the people, assembled in the popular assembly, for trial.[2] In addition, the king usually received consent from the other priests before introducing new deities.[2]

The period between the death of a king, and the election of a new king, was known as the

auspices (a ritual search for omens from the Gods), and was vested with legal authority (imperium) by the popular assembly (through the passage of a law known as the lex curiata de imperio).[6] In theory, the king was elected by the people, but in practice, it was the senate that had the real power over the election of new kings.[6]
The popular assembly could not select a candidate for the kingship. And while they could vote against a candidate, it was unlikely that they ever would.

Other executive officials

The king chose several officers to assist him,

Quaestors (quaestores parricidii) as general assistants, while several other officers (the duumviri perduellionis) assisted the king during treason cases. In war, the king occasionally commanded only the infantry, and delegated command over the cavalry to the commander of his personal bodyguards, the Tribune of the Celeres (tribunus celerum).[4] In the early republic, this arrangement was revived with the creation of the offices of Dictator (the magister populi or "master of the infantry"), and that of the Dictator's subordinate, the Master of the Horse
(the magister equitum or "master of the cavalry").

When the king (Latin: rex) died, his powers reverted to the senate.[7] The period that began upon the death of a king, and end upon the election of a new king, was called the interregnum. When an interregnum began, an Interrex (literally "interim king") was chosen.[6] An Interrex always had to be a patrician. The exact method by which the first Interrex was chosen during a given interregnum is not known.[6] What is known, however, is that each Interrex had to vacate his office after five days. Before he vacated his office, he had to choose a successor.[6] A new Interrex was chosen every five days, until a new king had been sworn in. The Interrex was quite literally an "interim king". The only difference between the king and the Interrex was the five-day term limit that the Interrex was subject to.[6] The Interrex had the same level of legal authority (imperium) as did the king. Therefore, while the Interrex was required to facilitate the election of a new king, the powers of the Interrex were not limited to this function. The Interrex could, for example, issue any decree, make any law, command the army, and preside over the Senate and the assemblies.[3]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Abbott, 8
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Abbott, 15
  3. ^ a b Abbott, 19
  4. ^ a b c d Abbott, 16
  5. ^ Abbott, 12
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Abbott, 14
  7. ^ Abbott, 10

References

Primary sources

Further reading

  • Ihne, Wilhelm. Researches Into the History of the Roman Constitution. William Pickering. 1853.
  • Johnston, Harold Whetstone. Orations and Letters of Cicero: With Historical Introduction, An Outline of the Roman Constitution, Notes, Vocabulary and Index. Scott, Foresman and Company. 1891.
  • Mommsen, Theodor. Roman Constitutional Law. 1871-1888
  • Tighe, Ambrose. The Development of the Roman Constitution. D. Apple & Co. 1886.
  • Von Fritz, Kurt. The Theory of the Mixed Constitution in Antiquity. Columbia University Press, New York. 1975.
  • The Histories by Polybius
  • Cambridge Ancient History, Volumes 9–13.
  • A. Cameron, The Later Roman Empire, (Fontana Press, 1993).
  • M. Crawford, The Roman Republic, (Fontana Press, 1978).
  • E. S. Gruen, "The Last Generation of the Roman Republic" (U California Press, 1974)
  • F. Millar, The Emperor in the Roman World, (Duckworth, 1977, 1992).
  • A. Lintott, "The Constitution of the Roman Republic" (Oxford University Press, 1999)
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