“Senatus Consultum Ultimum”and The Role Of Roman Senate Changed In The Late Republic

The dissertation examines the Senate’s ability to govern and the role it played in the context,operation,and results of the four “Senatus Consultum Ultimum” and explores the changes of the republic politic which the senate is in its center.In 121 B.C.,in response to the tyrannical rule of Gaius Gracchus,the Senate issued a “Senatus Consultum Ultimum” ordering the consul to protect the Republic,and this event started the tradition of using such a special Senatus Consultum to resolve the crisis of Rome’s internal govern crisis at the end of the republic.In his reform,Gaius Gracchus bypassed the Senate and used the power of the equites and the people to resolve the branching within the nobility.The Senate regarded this action as tyranny and issued the first " Senatus Consultum Ultimum " to solve this crisis.Undoubtedly,the root cause of Gaius Gracchus’ reform was the crisis in the sources of soldiers in Roman society,and the Senate’s inaction or personal interest action in the crisis could not solve it.It makes Marius have chance to change citizen military system to volunteer military peacefully,so that Marius became the most powerful man of his time.This led to the second “Senatus Consultum Ultimum” in 100 BC,which was issued in response to the violence of Marius’ former ally,Saturninus,who settle his rival with violence.However,the resolution was issued nearly a year after Saturninus’ first violent action,means to the Senate’s reduced political sensitivity.In 63 B.C.,the consul Cicero exaggerated the threat from Catilina,making the resolution to be issued under his deliberate guidance,indicating that the Senate’s judgment was swayed by men of political ability.The forth time was in 49 BC,when the Senate issued the Consultum against Caesar,but the two opposing sides were actually Caesar and Pompeius,and the Consultum of that year can be regarded as Pompeius’ ultimatum to conquer Caesar,the consultum was actually a tool of the struggle between the two tycoons.Thus,it can be seen that the Senate was losing its power in the course of the resolution.The Senate constant use violence to solve problems in the development of the resolution sharpen the chaos of late republican politics.Gaius Gracchus,Saturninus,Catilina,and even Caesar,the victor in the civil war,were eventually being killed.Such a tough attitude made Augustus not dare to weaken the power of the Senate rashly after the success in the civil war,but instead restored the authority of the Senate and established the Principate,sharing the power with the Senate.It can be seen that although the “Senatus Consultum Ultimum” was intended to solve the crisis of tyrannical rule within the Roman ruling class,it objectively set a precedent of the Senate to solve problems through violent action,and the Senate’s partisan struggle became more obvious.In the late republican,the influence of personal power and violent politics made it possible for military commanders or capable politicians to seek political benefits for themselves through the “Senatus Consultum Ultimum”,and the Senate’s control over Roman politics became weaker,and it can not be the sole governor of Roman politics.