In the Federative Republic of Brazil, there are two houses in the power of the State that control the legislative power: the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Did you know that this last institution had its origins in Rome, more than 2700 years ago?
O Roman Senate was a council of elders formed by the heads of the clans that inhabited the city of Rome. Clans were groups of people bound together by kinship, but they also contained slaves and clients. The latter were free men who lived by providing services to these clans, mainly obtaining protection from them.
The oldest person in these clans, the old man, or paterfamilias, he was the person who held authority within the clans, controlling family property, including slaves. The elder of each clan was chosen to be their representative in the Senate. The word Senate itself derives from the Latin word senex, which has the meaning of “old man”, or even senior.
But what was the function of the Senate, this Council of Elders? During the Roman Monarchy (VIII to VI centuries a. C.), when the Senate was formed, its function was that of debating the public subjects that interested the inhabitants of the city. Although the king in the monarchic period accumulated the executive, judicial and religious functions, it was the Senate that imposed limits on the king's power, being able to veto or approve the laws presented. The Roman Senate was made up of about 300 people, representing the richest families in Rome.
It had been created during the Roman monarchic period to Curia, or Assembly, formed by all Roman citizens of military age. Its function was to ratify the laws presented by the king and approved by the Senate.
But would all the inhabitants of Rome be considered citizens?
Do not. only the patricians, members of wealthy families and descendants of the founders of Rome could participate in the Curia. They were excluded from participation in the Curia, as they did not have the title of citizens, commoners, clients and slaves.
The Curia still chose the rex sacrorum, O King who would rule the Romans. However, the last kings of the monarchic period in Rome were not Romans. They were, for the most part, of Etruscan origin, people who originally inhabited a region north of Rome and who dominated the city.
Unhappy with Etruscan domination, the patricians organized to overthrow the last Etruscan king, known as Tarquinius the Superb. Through a coup d'état, the patricians managed to take power, creating the Republic, the res public, which means “public thing” in Latin. But control over the Republic continued not to be exercised by all the inhabitants, only by the patrician citizens. Thus, with the coup d'etat, the Roman Senate held political power in Rome until the end of the Republic, in 27 a. Ç.
By Tales Pinto
Master in History
