The Roman Senate: Guardians of the Republic

From the legendary founding of the Senate to its long decline under the emperors, this episode explores the Roman Senate's role as the beating heart of the Republic. Luke and Luna discuss how a council of elders evolved into a powerful political body that oversaw finance, foreign policy, and religion. They examine key figures like Cato the Elder, who used the Senate to push for the destruction of Carthage, and Cicero, whose career embodied the Senate's ideals and its vulnerabilities. The episode also looks at the Senate's internal conflicts, the rise of populist tribunes like the Gracchi, and the gradual erosion of its authority by Julius Caesar and Augustus. By the end, listeners will understand why the Senate remained a potent symbol even when its power had become a shadow of what it once was, and how its legacy shaped the very idea of representative government in the West. #RomanSenate #Senatus #RomanRepublic #CatoTheElder #Cicero #Gracchi #JuliusCaesar #Augustus #SPQR #RomanHistory #AncientRome #RomanPolitics #RomanEmpire #RomanRepublicHistory #RomeHistory #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo