Roman Republic

Roman Republic

The Roman Republic (Latin: Res publica Romana) was the period of ancient Roman civilization beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom, traditionally dated to 509 BC, and ending in 27 BC with the establishment of the Roman Empire. It was during this period that Rome’s control expanded from the city’s immediate surroundings to hegemony over the entire Mediterranean world.

During the first two centuries of its existence the Roman Republic expanded through a combination of conquest and alliance, from central Italy to the entire Italian peninsula. By the following century it included North Africa, Spain, and what is now southern France. Two centuries after that, towards the end of the 1st century BC, it included the rest of modern France, Greece, and much of the eastern Mediterranean. By this time, internal tensions led to a series of civil wars, climaxing with the assassination of Julius Caesar, which ended with the establishment of the Roman Empire.

The oldest coins of central Italy were cast bronzes known as Aes Grave. The issuing started in 289 BC, but was soon abolished for silver didrachms and bronze double litrae and litrae. These denominations were more convenient in establishing trade with the Greek cities of southern Italy. The monetary system underwent massive changes between the First and Second Punic Wars: a new series of Aes Grave was introduced and the didrachms were replaced by silver quadrigati. The value of the bronze coins of this period is easily identified because they bear distinctive heads of deities on the obverse and value marks on both sides.

By circa 211 BC the quadrigatus was superseded by the silver denarius, the principal and most significant denomination of Romans up to the 3rd century AD. Other denominations were the silver quinarius (half denarius), the bronze sestertius (quarter denarius) and the silver victoriatus.