With the fall of the Kings of Rome and the establishment of the Roman Republic in its stead (traditionally dated to 509BC) a system of government slowly evolved, the "Res Publica" that would last five hundred years, before finally falling with the rise of Augustus, the first "Emperor" of Rome.
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| The Re-Constructed Curia. The Seat of the Senate |
Of course, moving onto the next stage was pre-requisite upon you receiving enough votes in the next election. However, you're a young man ready to get going on your career, so lets get started...
Military Tribune
If you're going to get anywhere in the world of Roman politics, you are going to need to military experience. You cant be seen as a coward before your ancestors, nor will you be able to win elections for more military focused offices later on, so you're off to join the army.
If you happen to have a relative who is a general or links to another family, you will probably serve your military duty with them. By the time of Polybius, he writes in his history, Book 6 Chapter 12, that there are six military tribune appointed by the consuls. Little is known of this first step of your career, but suffice to say you will go where the Republic tells you and fight whom the Republic tells you to fight.
When your ten years of military service are up, it's time to return to Rome, hopefully with an appropriate war wound or two to show off to the plebs, ready to get started on your first official post, Quaestor.
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| The Ruins of the Temple of Saturn |
Your first step on the political ladder, and after the rigours of your military training, its time to focus on learning how to run an empire spanning the Mediterranean. The role of Quaestor, which you could hold from the age of thirty, will see you supervising the finances of the state and the army, from the state held treasury in the Temple of Saturn in the forum.
Julius Caesar held the office of Quaestor in 69BC and went to Spain to serve his office, overseeing the finances of the province. Where as Cicero served as Quaestor in Sicily in 75BC and we are told was loved by the residents for his gentle handed honesty and fair dealings, The Life of Cicero Chapter 6.
Having served your time as Quaestor, and assuming you haven't been too rapacious in your province with their finances and consequently been prosecuted in court for it, its time to apply for the next step, Aedile.
Aedile
At the age of thirty-six it was time to stand for election of the Aedileship. This post would see you in charge of the administration of the city of Rome. Cicero in his book On The Laws, divided the roll into three parts; the taking care of temples and public buildings, making sure that the provision of food and water are not disrupted and (most importantly for the future of your career) the organisation of games and entertainments.
The advantages of holding this office should be fairly self evident to your now advancing political career. You have spent your time in the army learning soldiering, you have seen how to run the finances of the republic, now it is time to maintain Rome itself and garner as much acclaim as possible for your efforts.
"[Caesar] during his aedileship, he furnished three hundred and twenty pairs of gladiators, and by lavish provision besides for theatrical performances, processions and public banquets, he washed away all memory of the ambitious efforts of his predecessors from the office"
As Julius Caesar has always demonstrated throughout his career, its go big or go home. The sentence at the end of the quote is particularly telling, Caesar's entertainments for the city clearly eclipsed anything his rivals were able to muster and were obviously on the lips of the very people who he would then be electioneering too for the next public office. Fail to keep the city looking smart, the food and water flowing or host some mediocre games and you may as well go home now, so dig deep and hire those few extra gladiators.
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| Julius Caesar |
With you having successfully run the city, and hopefully taking a leaf out of Caesar's book and cobbled together some breathtaking entertainments for the plebs, its time to focus on the next step of the ladder, becoming Praetor.
Praetor
Well, you've done it. You have survived ten years military service presumably teaching some barbarian a little Latin culture with the aid of your sword, you have mastered the financing of a Mediterranean empire and managed to capture the hearts and minds of the Roman people during your Aedileship. Time for the next job.
It should be noted that by the time you are eligible to stand for the role of the Praetorship you would have to be at least thirty nine years old. That means you will have been working on getting to this point of your political career for almost two decades already. The point being, to have reached this role is already an impressive achievement. But is it enough, time to pull your sandals up and get to work.
The number of slots available for men to become praetors varies, however it is usually around six, with the goal of running and serving judicial functions as well as other government functions. It is entirely possible in the absence of a consul, that you might be called upon to function as the leader in their absence. However your main function is that of judicial supervisor and judge, as Livy tells us that they were created to relieve the Consuls of these duties, with different Praetors being in charge of different areas of Roman laws. Cicero during his Preatorship served on the court to deal with extortion and apparently did so well;
"Although many men of importance stood for the praetorship along with Cicero, he was appointed first of them all".
Being seen as the forthright upholder of republican law and order was all well and good but the real advantage of the post was to be elected as Propraetor and act as the governor of one of the ever increasing number of Roman provinces. Being a governor will give you a chance to flex your administrative and military muscles, maybe skim a little money off the top (well why shouldn't you?) and hopefully leave you in good stead for the next and top job, the Consulship.
So, you're now a middle aged fully fledged Roman politician, with military and political experience, having worked your way through the Cursus Honorum and are ready to claim your spot as the pre-eminent man of the Republic. The Ancient History Blog will look at the final few stages of your political career next time, when it's time to fix your toga, remind the masses on your various passed great deeds and make your ancestors proud.
Thanks for Reading
James
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