I honestly wonder what would have happened if Caesar wasn’t slain. He advocated for reform and had total power… not that tyrants are good or anything, and his heir sucked nuts.
this post was submitted on 05 Nov 2024
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As much as I love Caesar, I doubt he would have changed the fundamental structural problems with the Republic. He was a lifelong populare, and his belief in land reform was probably genuine, but the Roman Republic needed a total constitutional overhaul. It just was not a well-functioning entity by that time, and I don't think Caesar ever expressed interest in that kind of radicalism.
And, I mean, let's face it, he got stabbed by the conservatives for doing exactly what the ultraconservative Sulla did a generation before (taking dictatorial power without express term limit), only with Caesar forgiving instead of murdering his enemies, and being more poor-friendly - the chance of him getting through something more radical even if that was on his mind was effectively nil.
I don't doubt for a second that he would have tried to reform and change the system. I just doubt whether he could have succeeded or not.
Reform, quite possibly, but in what way? To what degree? The Republic's constitution was a mess, and I don't know that there was any salvaging it without rebuilding it from the ground up - or scrapping it, as Augustus effectively did.
I'm sorry, the best three groups of citizens have already voted, and there's not enough votes left for the rest of you to matter. Please have some bread and promise not to murder us, as we conditionally promise not to murder you.
Oh yeah!? Well, we'll take it from the Centuriate Assembly to the Plebeian Assembly!
... wh-what do you mean the rural tribes, who are less numerous and need to be rich to be able to afford to take time off to come into the city of Rome itself to vote, get 31 votes to our 4??