Title: How the Roman Republic Transformed Into the Roman Empire | by Tyler Piteo-Tarpy | Medium
Headings: How the Roman Republic Transformed Into the Roman Empire
How the Roman Republic Transformed Into the Roman Empire
From The Gracchi’s Riots to Caesar’s Civil War
Introduction
The Gracchi
Julius Caesar
Conclusion
Bibliography

Content: While Caesar was plagued by conflict with the Optimates throughout his life, what’s interesting is that his greatest rival, Pompey, was not a member of the Optimates, and this is where Flower’s adaptation thesis and Osgood’s transformation thesis prove themselves. Pompey rose to power without going through the Cursus Honorum, partially because of the support of the people, but also because of how Marius’ military reforms gave him a loyal private army; the power balance between classes had been broken by the interjection of this new way to gain power. As Flower believes, “ There was…no single ancient Republic that became fossilized and outlived its usefulness or its historical mission. Rather a series of republics, some more stable and successful than others, reflected the intense political culture after the end of the monarchy ” (Flower, Roman Republics, 22). There was the pre-Punic War republic of the Consuls, the post-Punic War republic of the Senate, and, in this period, the republic of oligarchies; While they still ended up adhering to the consistent class divide, the way Pompey and Caesar came into power was the result of adaptation. Caesar also was a result of and a contributor to the Roman world state. Osgood argues that “ We need to recognize that it was during the long “fall of the Roman Republic” that a more ambitious provincial administration was being developed, along with a more coherent vision of empire that promised lasting peace in exchange for loyalty to Rome and the payment of taxes ” (Josiah Osgood, Rome and the Making of the World State:150BCE-20 CE, 3), and Caesar won his prestige and his army because of his provincial administration of Gaul and then proceeded to bring Gaul, Egypt, Spain, and parts of Asia and Africa deeper into Roman control. Caesar wasn’t revolutionary because he didn’t conquer these nations, but he did expand the imperialistic policy that was already ongoing;