In order for a government to be called a republic, it must have certain characteristics. The most important of these is that the people must have control over their government. Ancient Rome was ruled by several different types of leaders, including kings, consuls, and dictators. However, each one had limited powers and could be removed from office if he did not do his job well.
The other important feature of ancient Rome was that it had a complex social hierarchy. This meant that there were many different classes of people within society who had different levels of power and wealth.
Roman society was divided into several classes based on wealth, with each class having different rights and responsibilities. The highest class was the senatorial class, which included all members of the Senate (a council of elders). The next highest class was the equestrian order, consisting of wealthy people who owned horses and served as cavalrymen in battle. Below them were free citizens who could not afford to own horses, but still had rights and duties within their communities.
In Rome’s early days as a republic, these groups were small enough that nearly everyone had some contact with government officials or served on juries. However, as Rome grew larger and more prosperous, only wealthier Roman citizens were able to participate in politics because they had leisure time for public service. This led to political instability because there weren’t enough people involved in making decisions about important issues like war and trade policy.
