Senate- The Senate was the true seat of power in Rome. Senatorswere appointed for life, and voting was done by seniority. The Senatorswere responsible for ratifying laws which the general assemblies hadpassed, along with providing government appointments andappropriating government funds. The Senate also voted on otherissues which concerned the city, and provided guidance. Because theyheld their positions for life, the Senators held immense power, and theother government leaders would pretty much do as they willed. Consuls- The Romans elected two consuls as chief executives everyyear who each had the ability to veto the other. These consuls were thecommanders of the army, acted as judges, and summoned andproposed bills to the comitia centuriata.Comitia Centuriata- The comitia centuriata was a popular assemblywhich catered to the interested of the wealthy. Its system of votingrevolved around a class structure where the wealthiest of citizensconstituted a near majority, and the poorer classes rarely got an actualvote. It had the power to appoint magistrates and pass legislation. thecomitia also served a judicial purpose.Plebian Council- The Plebian council was also a council dominated bywealthy landowners. The voting of the council was set up in tribes thatwere divvied into city and rural, and the votes were distributed so thatthe tribes of large landowners were given a much larger vote (31) thanthere fellow citizens in the city (4). The Plebian council had the ability topass legislation, elect magistrates, and serve in judicial matters.Censors-There were two censors who were elected every five years bythe comitia centuriata, and served for 18 months. They wereresponsible for determining the tax liability, military eligibility, and tribeassignments of the people. They could also add or remove people fromthe Senate, and arrange public contracts and spend public funds.Praetors- There were 2 or more praetors, and the offic...
