Question

Give an example of corruption in the Roman Republic.

Answer 1

Corruption in the Roman Republic notably included politicians pandering to the proletariat with freebies, public works promises, and the organization of violent gangs to coerce political outcomes. Wealth accumulated from military campaigns and the influence of elite families and their client networks further eroded the political system and fueled widespread dissatisfaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

An example of corruption in the Roman Republic can be seen through the actions of Roman politicians who sought to gain the support of the masses by providing free food and entertainment like gladiatorial combats, making promises for public works to create jobs, and in some cases, organizing the poor into violent gangs to intimidate opponents.

The system of patronage that had traditionally held Roman politics together began to collapse as the growth of the proletariat meant that many landless Romans no longer required patrons to settle property disputes.

This shift in the social structure led to a growing dissatisfaction with the government, as evidenced by the actions of officials like Gaius Marius—a seven-time consul who extracted significant wealth from military campaign plunder and faced accusations of using that wealth to influence court decisions, effectively highlighting the prevalence of political manipulation and bribery.

The Roman Senate and the Republic's political system struggled with the issue of concentrated wealth and power, eventually contributing to the Republic's downfall. Despite attempts at maintaining checks and balances, such as the annual election of consuls by the Centuriate Assembly to oversee enforcement of laws, the influence of elite families and their client networks often overshadowed formal structures of government.

Answer 2

Answer: Rome’s continued expansion resulted in money and revenue for the Republic. Corruption and bribery increased in the government for officials to gain power and access to this money.Rich people bought votes and gave favors to friends. Bribery and corruption were rampant and led to the commoners distrusting the Senate. Many people were brought back as slaves from Rome’s conquests. The capture of slaves created an influx of cheap labor and hurt the lower classes and disrupted the agricultural system. Many local farmers could not compete with the wealthy farms that used slave labor and eventually lost their land. When Rome’s conquests declined, so did their sources of income. This decrease in money resulted in a loss of support for the people of Rome and created an enormous stress on the economy. Officials began to tax their citizens furthering discontent.