| Roman citizenship during the Republic is an important issue, but the research about it is not sufficient. As a newborn calf, I venture to search for it preliminarily. I am very pleased to get the help of the scholars in the historical circle.This thesis is composed of three parts: 1. the extension of citizenship, 2. the reasons for the extension of citizenship, 3. the results of the extension of citizenship.In ancient city states, a sharp line of demarcation had been drawn between citizen and other resident .Citizen was the master of city state. Citizen in Rome included cives nati and cives facti, the latter reflects Roman policy of citizenship, so it is in the limit of my research.The extension of citizenship (cives facti) can be divided into two aspects, each including several stages.Within Rome, the citizenship was granted to plebs and slaves. Plabs' fight for citizenship underwent two stages ,the first stage was from 494 to 367 B.C, the second stage began from 367 to 287 B.C .The Romans were liberal in their practice of emancipating slaves and giving them the privileges of citizenship, but there were many limitations. Enfranchisement of slave was in the fashion of manumissio manu and manumissio law.Beyond Rome, with her conquest, the citizenship was extended to the Latin Italian allies and the provincials. The process consisted of four stages, according to its size. The first stage was from the 4th century to 338 B.C, Rome just came into being and she was merely the chief city of the Latin league, so citizenship was scarcely spread ,Rome conferred it on individual Latin community only. The 2nd stage was from 338 to 90 B.C, with her advance in Italy and the fight of the non-privileged, citizenship was extended on a large scale. In 338 Rome for the first time had to face theproblem of wholescale incorporation. After Rome became the mistress of Italy, the peninsula was converted into a large confederation composing of allies and incorporated states ,one fourth residents received citizenship. The 3rd stage began from 90 to 88 B.C, after the Social war ,the whole free population of the Italian received enfranchisement, the barriers and exclusiveness of city state was broken through .The last stage was in the later days of the Republic, generals bestowed citizenship on their supporters freely. After the Civil war, it extended in province on an unprecedented scale.In short, the extension of citizenship is increasing in degree, enlarging in scope and size, but there is another side to the matter, its conservative tendency. First without non-privileged's claim and fight, Rome didn't extend it. Secondly Rome conferred it with deliberation and conservation. Last, Rome extended it in a traditional way, as praemium.The reasons for the extension of citizenship are various and complex. They are divided into four kinds in this essay. 1.Since there was sharp distinction between citizen and other resident, the non-privileged wanted to receive it. With Rome's advance and the increased value of citizenship, the conquered subject would like to receive it, too. 2. From the beginning the Rome people was not racially one, she was a mixed race, so citizenship didn't closely connect with sentimental blood-consciousness. Racial diversity of its inhabitants and its religions accounted for the non-exclusive attitude hi citizenship. 3. In concept, the Roman regarded citizenship less important than the Greek .In ancient city state the representation hadn't used and all votes had to be cast in the chief city of the state. With territorial expansion, many citizens lived so far from Rome that it was practical impossible for them to cast their ballots there .In the course of time, it was not popular assembly but the Senate gained complete control of the government, which entailed a more open citizenship policy. Social structureof aristocracy was convenient for other community to receive citizenship. 4. The basic cause lied in the changes of city state. In later days of the Republic, the small farmer rui... |
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