There is no other published book in English studying the constitution of the Roman Republic as a whole. Yet the Greek historian Polybius believed that the constitution was a fundamental cause of the exponential growth of Rome''s empire. He regarded the Republic as unusual in two respects: first, because it functioned so well despite being a mix of monarchy, oligarchy and democracy; secondly, because the constitution was the product of natural evolution rather than the ideals of a lawgiver. Even if historians now seek more widely for the causes of Rome''s rise to power, the importance and influence of her political institutions remains. The reasons for Rome''s power are both complex, on account of the mix of elements, and flexible, inasmuch as they were not founded on written statutes but on unwritten traditions reinterpreted by successive generations. Knowledge of Rome''s political institutions is essential both for ancient historians and for those who study the contribution of Rome to the republican tradition of political thought from the Middle Ages to the revolutions inspired by the Enlightenment.
Industry Reviews
`Review from previous edition a splendidly readable and authoritative guide to what is known about the institutions of the Roman Republic, what can be inferred about them, and why they matter.'
History of Political Thought, vol.XXI,iss.4
`Lintott is excellent on the powers of the people'
History of Political Thought, vol.XXI,iss.4
`now at last we have an accessible modern account in English, from a very distinguished political historian with an expert knowledge of Roman law and a sophisticated understanding of the pseudo-historical tradition on early Rome. It is an essential book'
History of Political Thought, vol.XXI,iss.4
`This is a book that has long been needed.'
History of Political Thought, vol.XXI,iss.4
`Lintott is an acute and erudite historian. His book will serve the needs of pupils and teachers for a long time to come, and its appearance is most welcome.'
The Historian
`Lintott's command of his subject is masterly, and it is nothing short of admirable that his exposition succeeds in providing the reader with a solid grasp of every institution even as it takes pains to underscore the changes in each institution that took place over time and owing to shifts of either a political, or more purely social, nature.'
The Historian
`clearly written and well-informed'
The Historian
`authoritative, incisive, and readable'
The Classical Outlook, Vol.78, No.1
`Contemporary readers have been hampered by the lack of a good, up-to-date introduction to the rules of the game, and Andrew Lintott's new book will be tremendously useful in this regard'
The Classical Outlook, Vol.78, No.1
Lintott has written a handbook to the Roman 'constitution' for our times, explicitly linking what is almost always a clear account of constitutional detail to the kind of broader questions raised by Millar./ Mary Beard, TLS, 28/05/99 (reviewed alongside Fergus Millar's 'The Crowd in Rome in the Late Republic', Univ of Michigan Press).
`thoroughly documented, typically lucid exposition ... Lintott's indexes and notes are excellent guides to the ancient evidence and modern discussion, and thus an important scholarly resource for research and instruction. The bibliography is admirable'
P B Harvey, Social and Behavioural Sciences