Senatorial Aristocracy During Ancient Roman History

[Guest caesarimperator]

The senatorial class succeeded during the monarchy and especially repub. age and to having the supremacy in social, economic, military and political field. This position succeeded it to conserve during all the empire? occupying nearly the totality of the offices in the empire and the cosilium principis?

[Primus Pilus]

The senatorial class succeeded during the monarchy and especially repub. age and to having the supremacy in social, economic, military and political field. This position succeeded it to conserve during all the empire? occupying nearly the totality of the offices in the empire and the cosilium principis?

 

I'm afraid I don't understand the question. Are you speaking of the equestrian class surpassing the traditional patrician senatorial class in administrative appointments in the mid to later empire?

[Pantagathus]

I'm afraid I don't understand the question. Are you speaking of the equestrian class surpassing the traditional patrician senatorial class in administrative appointments in the mid to later empire?

 

If that is the case it's simply because the Emperors felt they could trust the Equestrians more which I'm sure is the response P-P was leading to...

[caldrail]

So basically the equestrians become a class of professionals as well as moderately wealthy people. The senatorial class was composed of wealthy men, many of whom were ambitious and some of them absolutely positive that they deserved power rather than that idiot giving the orders. Not suprisingly then, we see the senatorials weakened by purges and plots to the extent that the old families no longer exist. Therefore tradition is also weakened and the glass ceiling over the equestrians isn't so much a barrier that it once was.

[Sextus Roscius]

The equestrians were more trustable becuase they didn't bother with politics as much, and weren't as dangerous. Simple as that.

 

I apologize for my undetailed posts. First day back in months...

[Dominus Rex]

The senatorial class succeeded during the monarchy and especially repub. age and to having the supremacy in social, economic, military and political field. This position succeeded it to conserve during all the empire? occupying nearly the totality of the offices in the empire and the cosilium principis?

 

I don't think he mentions the equestrian class, but was talking just about the Senators.

 

I'm not sure, but I thought that during the rein of Tiberius and Caligula, the Senate pretty much lost all of it's power, and by the time Claudius started ruling, there were almost none of the same Senators that had been around during Augustus. They all got banished, poisoned, or accused of false charges and executed, (Well, I imagine that not all charges were false) or died of all age. The senate just kind of became a figure, with no true power.

[Julia C]

But immense traditional weight! Recall, the Senate outlasted the emperors! There was still a Senate administrating the Eternal City long after Romulus called little augustus was deposed.

 

A lot of the Senate's prerogatives were shed, but one should remember that the Senate never had any legal weight anyway! Even the Senate's control of the Treasury and matters of war were matters of custom: no laws allowed this.

[Ursus]

A lot of the Senate's prerogatives were shed, but one should remember that the Senate never had any legal weight anyway!

 

 

Actually, under Hadrian and beyond I believe senatus consultata carried the formal weight of law. Of course, I doubt any consultata were passed without the consent of the Princeps.

 

 

The senate just kind of became a figure, with no true power.

 

See above. Under Hadrian, the Senate's decrees were formally treated as law. Though of course I'm sure the Princeps control of the military actively influenced the law. ;-)

 

But nonetheless, until the Crisis of the Third Century and its Aftermath, individual Senators occupied nearly all the important posts in the empire. The Senate as a body was little more than a social club for the elite, but from it's ranks were drawn the most important people serving under the Princeps. It's importance really only declined when the reforms of Diocletian and Constantine invested power in the imperial court and its horde of Counts.

[Julia C]

Yes, but Hadrian ran things during the middle years of the principate. Under the republic, when senatorial privileges were at their zenith, the Senate could not legislate.