Roman agrarian policy in the early Republic : the city-state constitution and the attendant expansion

Abstract

The following essay is an attempt to understand the past; knowledge is sought not only of Rome itself, but also of its contribution to Western Civilization. I have focused narrowly upon the problem of Roman agrarian policy under the monarchy and early republic with the hope of discovering some truths about the way in which the Romans went about the business of governing themselves. The paucity of primary source material made it difficult to construct a model for understanding the Roman city-state. Nevertheless, I hope I have fully exploited what primary source material is available. Chief among this is the course Livy. Time and time again the great Roman historian has both served as a guide to and inspiration for writing Roman history. I have sought to emphasize that Rome during this period was in a state of flux, and it is hoped that the reader sees not only the growth of the city-state constitution, but also the beginning of many of the governmental concepts that have influenced Western Society. As place names are mentioned int he text, the reader is referred to the maps at the end of the essay. Also, the abbreviations used conform with those standard ones in the Oxford Classical Dictionary. I have made great effort to cite fully in the notes the primary sources, both literary and archaeological. During my tenure at Youngstown State I have benefited by studying in the Departments of History and Foreign Languages. Therefore, I would like to thank the following scholars. The guidance and scholarly criticism of Professors Domonkos and Friedman of the History Department has been greatly appreciated. I feel fortunate to have studied under Dr. Sarkissian of the Department of Foreign Languages, to whom a great debt is owed for both directing my thesis and guiding me in my quest for classical scholarship.