Rome: Government

Roman EmperorThroughout its existence, Rome had three types of government. During the first two centuries, Rome was ruled by a king. The king was advised by a Senate made up of one hundred members chosen from the Patrician social class. The king was commander-in-chief of Rome in time of war, as well as the chief priest and judge. However, he did not have absolute power in governing Rome. He needed the approval of the Comitia Centuriata. It was controlled by patricians. There was also the Comitia Tributa. This governing body was formed of representatives from each of the thirty curiae, or groups of family clans. Finally even if the king's decision was approved by the Comita Centuriata it still had to be approved by the Senate.

Rome had seven kings:

In 509 B.C, the Roman Republic was established. The government consisted of many different magistrates or government officials who were appointed by the Senate. This government was led by two consuls, who were the highest-ranking magistrates. They were elected by the Senate for terms of one year, and governed in cooperation with the Senate. They each had veto power, which meant that they could stop one another from performing an action.

The Senate also appointed other magistrates:

MAGISTRATEJOB
PraetorsJudges
QuaestorsFinancial officers
ProconsulsProvincial governors who had once been consuls
ProcuratorsAdministrative agents who were appointed by consuls and later emperors to represent Roman interests in provinces. Their power overlapped with that of the local governors.

Starting from 81 B.C. this system changed. The Senate was no longer led by consuls but by imperators, who were generals of the Roman army that gained enough power to establish rule. The power of the Senate slowly diminished until 27 B.C. when it gave up any rights of power to Emperor Augustus. The rule of Augustus (formerly known as Octavian) ended 100 hundred years of civil wars and the rule of imperators. The leadership of these imperators led to the control of the Roman government by emperors. One of these emperors was the famous Julius Caesar. The emperors began to rule without consulting the Senate, which thus became purely ceremonial. The emperors ruled with the help of a consistory. This was the emperor's council, which consisted of the highest Roman magistrates. The consistory included five magistrates:
MAGISTRATEJOB
Magister OfficiarumMaster of Offices
Praepositus Sacri SubiculiRoyal Chamberlain
Quaestor PalatiiChief Legal Officer
Comes Sacrarum LargitinumCount of the sacred largesse-in charge of the taxation and accounting of public finances and general taxes.
Comes Rerum PrivatorumCount of the privy purse-in charge of the expenditures, business dealings, collecting rents, and financial management of the private imperial estates.

There were also many other magistrates appointed to each of the territories Rome conquered. The names, jobs, and territories assigned to each magistrate were written in the Nototia Dignitatum, which was the Registry of Important Civil and Military Offices.

The following is a list of all the imperators and emperors and any major political events during their tenure: