The Institutions of the Roman Kingdom
As we saw in previous posts, when Romulus founded Rome, he became its first king. Thus, the period of the Roman Kingdom began.
How did it work? Read on to find out.
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Table of Contents
The Institutions of the Roman Kingdom
Much of its actual history is shrouded in mystery. The few records surviving from this time were destroyed in 390 B.C. by the Gauls, who sacked the city. So, all we have are the works of later Roman historians who collated (and inflated) the oral traditions.
Most of these ancient writers lived 500 to 800 years after the events they have described, so it is safe to assume a large part of their work is—how should I put this?—conjecture. However, there are some things we know for sure.
It is undeniable that many of Rome’s hallowed institutions and iconic magistracies originated from this time. We also have a pretty good idea of how the burgeoning Kingdom worked. Moreover, some essential structures date back to these days.
This being said, I will explore the deeds of the different (semi)legendary kings in separate posts. Today, though, I would like to focus on how the early Roman State was organized.
The King or the Senate? Which came first?
The King of Rome was an absolute monarch. In other words, he was the chief of everything: chief executive, chief priest, chief legislator, and chief judge. It was a workable setup since the Kingdom was but a glorified village and its surrounding area.
However, as opposed to other absolute monarchies, the Roman version had a democratic component and was based on laws rather than brute force.
The first king, Romulus, was elected by public acclaim, or so the story goes. Then, he personally selected 100 men to serve in the newly established Senate. These were the wealthiest people, all married men with legitimate children. Their descendants subsequently became the patrician class.
In reality, things probably happened the other way around. Allow me to explain.
The Romans were organized into clans (gens), basically, extended families. Every clan was headed by a father (pater). He was the absolute master of the clan, having life-and-death powers over its members.
As the community grew, the fathers of the most prominent clans formed a ruling board, a so-called Senate (from the word senex, meaning old man). They met periodically to discuss and decide on matters of common interest.
In time, the burden of leadership increased along with the size of the population. It is logical to assume that, after a while, a full-time ruler was needed. Accordingly, the Senate elected one of their own to act as the first king.
Irrespective of the chronological order in which these institutions came to be, there are enough sources to understand how they worked together afterward.
The Senate
Initially comprised of 100 senators, this number grew to 300 by the end of the Kingdom period.
Their role was mainly as advisors, except during a period of interregnum (see below). However, the kings often consulted them, as well as the people, regarding important decisions.
The Tribes and the Curiae
Romans were grouped into three tribes: Ramnes (the Latins), Tities (the Sabines), and Luceres (the Etruscans).
For a long time, scholars believed the tribes represented ethnically homogenous groups. Although this assumption is disputed nowadays, I will go with it, lacking a better alternative.
The Latins were the inhabitants of Old Latium, their main settlement being Alba Longa, the capital of the twins’ grandfather. Thus, Romulus’ followers, those who first settled on the Palatine Hill, were of Latin ethnicity.
The Sabines lived in Old Umbria, north of Latium. As you may recall from this post, the closest Sabine settlements were on the Anio River, within walking distance from the first huts of Rome. Titus Tatius’ followers who settled on the Capitoline Hill were ethnically Sabines.
The dominant civilization on the Italian Peninsula at the time was the Etruscans. They were centered on Etruria (today’s Tuscany), with their southernmost towns and villages on the Tiber’s banks. In other words, some of the hilltop villages near Rome were inhabited by ethnically Etruscan people.
Naturally, elements belonging to all three ethnicities inhabited the city of Rome from early on.
To use an analogy, the Romans spoke Latin, although not all of them were ethnically Latin, in the same way as Americans speak English despite not all being of English descent.
In addition to the tribal structure, the citizens were grouped into 30 curiae, named after the Sabine women who stopped the fighting between the Romans and the Sabines. The curiae functioned as voting blocs in the People’s Assembly. For this reason, the Roman version of the Electoral College was called the Curiate Assembly.
How Were the Kings Elected?
Kings were elected by the citizens—with the intercession of the Senate—instead of succeeding by birthright. True, it was a lifelong office, but it was still better than leaving things up to genetic roulette.
Whenever the King died, Rome entered a period of interregnum. The Senate appointed one of its own to act as interrex (temporary ruler) for a period of 5 days.
The sole role of the interrex was to nominate a new potential King. If he couldn’t find one, another interrex was selected for the next 5 days. And so on until a suitable candidate was identified.
Next, the Senate reviewed the fortunate one, and if they liked him, his name was put to the Curiate Assembly, an electoral body representing all the citizens.
If the citizens confirmed the presumptive nominee for kingship, he was on course to become the new King. All he needed now was the blessing of the gods—determined by taking the auspices—and the subsequent approval by the Curiate Assembly of the law granting him the imperium (i.e., the power to command).
The King
Once officially appointed, the King had absolute power to command, otherwise known as imperium. Simply put, he was the boss!
The Regalia
To show off, the King surrounded himself with an official entourage, the twelve lictors (lictores).
Like many things adopted by the Romans, the lictors were of Etruscan origin. They were well-built men who carried a bundle of rods (fasces) that often included an axe. In case you wonder, the word fascism originates from the lictors’ weapon.
Also, the taste for fancy clothes and fashionable accessories is as old as the Italian Peninsula, and the Roman King was no exception. He wore a purple toga, red shoes, and a white diadem, and no one else was allowed to copy his style.
Lastly, the King’s foldable chair was another powerful symbol in the vein of the throne of a medieval monarch. It was called a curule chair, supposedly from currus, meaning chariot.
Lawmaker and Judge
The King was unimpeachable; in other words, he was immune from prosecution. I know a few contemporary leaders who would turn green with envy if they heard about this. 🙂
Moreover, he was also the chief judge of the nation. As a matter of interest to fans of my mystery books, the King could appoint a couple of detectives to help him in criminal cases, the so-called quaestores parricidi.
Also, the King was the only one who could appoint patricians to the Senate, the body responsible for nominating his successor, among other things.
Lastly, it goes without saying that the King’s word was law. Hence, he was the chief legislator of the realm. In these early days, the Senate’s role in the legislative process was to rubber stamp the King’s decrees.
Commander in Chief
As commander in chief, the King led Rome’s army (legio) but also appointed the commander of the Ramnes tribe and the Royal Bodyguard.
Moreover, the King appointed the Urban Praefect (praefectus urbi) to act as the city’s warden when the ruler was absent. Even the King needed a vacation “abroad,” and nothing compared to pillaging and raping the inhabitants of nearby villages.
Conduit of the Gods
Have I mentioned he also served as the chief priest (pontifex maximus)?
Yep, the King was in charge of the calendar. Basically, he decided what day it was, well, every day. Just imagine having the power to decree a non-working day on a whim. How cool was that?
Also, he was the only one allowed to take the auspices on behalf of Rome. Call me irreverent, but that was perhaps his most awesome power.
Know this: Romans did nothing without consulting the gods first. This was true also for public functions. So, if the King was in no mood to do something, he could say it was an inauspicious day. After all, he was the only person with the right to augury on behalf of the Kingdom.
The Legion
As mentioned, the Roman Kingdom wasn’t a sumptuous affair, especially at the beginning. Consequently, its armed forces weren’t that impressive, either.
The early legion must have been only a rung above an armed mob.
In times of need, each of the 30 curiae fielded a century of men, namely 100. In addition, the patricians were organized into three centuries of horsemen (equities), reflecting the founding tribes of the nation.
Ergo, the army comprised 3000 light infantry and 300 horsemen.
The warriors were led by six commanders (tribuni), who served under the commanding general, usually the King.
Conclusion
Entire libraries were written about the Roman Kingdom. Thus, I am sure there are many things and topics I haven’t covered in this post. Yet, I believe I wrote enough for the shapes of future Rome to emerge from the obscurity of its early days.
