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The Fall of the Roman Republic
In its beginning, Rome started out as a city state in 753 BC. It was ruled by a monarchy until it was overturned in 509 BC. A republic was developed and worked itself into Roman society.

During the times of the first century, Rome gained control over Italy, most of Sicily, and quite a bit of what's now known as the Iberian Peninsula (including Greece, North Africa, France, Egypt, and modern day Turkey.) Rome's power was based on their strong military. They used their forces to gain and maintain power. The military was so powerful that they usually had more say than the government. Because of these, there was major civil disorder resulting in occasional violence.

The elections for major positions in "the system" were quite queer. Unlike today, elections were openly rigged (as where they are secretly rigged today.) Politicians were known to change opinions often and no one paid much attention to it. The nobleman were granted elegant homes because of these corrupt politicians; they held large, lavish parties inside their houses. The stoic foundation that started the republic had began to crumble.

Rich merchants tried to bribe and bully the senate for new power that the Senate completely denied them. The Senate began to use the military against the citizens to protect order. During the state of unrest, Caesar came in and claimed dictatorship. History shows that this one single event had a massive effect on Roman society. Julius Caesar ignited the massive civil war between Octavian and Marc Antony. The second triumvirate dissolved and Octavian became "consul". In all actuality, Octavian had just brought the end of the republic. By the time of his death, the Roman empire had been deeply embedded within society.

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Primary Source
Cicero to Brutus (Ad Brut. 7) Apr. 21, 43 B.C. "....Of Caesar, truly a boy, marvelous is the innate quality of his manliness! If only so easily now that he is flourishing due to his office and his patronage I could direct and hold him, as easily as so far I have held him! This is wholly a more difficult thing, but nevertheless I have not lost faith; for the young man is persuaded—and mostly by me—that by his work we have been saved. And certainly, unless he had turned Antony off the city, all would have been lost...."