acked wine, says Ambrose (MacMulen 86). In addition to favors and fear, the rulers connections were just as important as money. Everywhere they went they would expect favors from others because of their name or kinship. At the capitol, many decisions were made about promotions to higher ranks for civil service and consulships. Every month the emperor had to grant over 25 different positions to recommended nominees. Even appointing these people to positions was rigged because recommendations for the candidates came from senators who owed those individuals a favor (MacMullen 101). Fear of commanders ran through the blood of every Roman citizen. For example, according to MacMullen, in one of Ciceros earliest defenses he refers openly to bystanders present on the prosecutions side, men of the highest nobility and greatest power, whose numbers and attendance would thoroughly alarm anyone, litigant or not (89). This is an example of someone of a much lower rank, even though victim of rape, could hardly summon the courage to lodge a suit (MacMullen 89). The extreme wealth of these officials gave them a special quality that would raise them above the law. Neither authorities, judges, governors, or even the emperor could control them.The fourth century was when troubles began arising that led to the loss of the empire. The economy was a major problem towards the end of the Republic because of the turmoil caused by civil war and the irresponsibility of senators that put money and ambition before their responsibilities to the people and state (Haywood 24). The problems originated back to the great landowners and the bureaucracy. Their greed and ambition had an everlasting effect on the republic. They helped to sink the empire so low that it was nearly impossible to recover. Many farms were utterly abandoned, the land was concentrated in the hands of a comparatively few large proprietors. The tenants fell into chronic debt and were ...
