Through its advice, the Senate directed the magistrates, especially the Consuls in their conduct of military conflicts and foreign affairs. While the Senate's advice did not hold legal force, by custom they were usually obeyed. The Senate passed decrees called senatus consulta, which constituted "advice" from the Senate to a magistrate or legislative assembly on a particular course of action. Senate – The Senate was a body of 300 members (each serving a life term), which served as the main deliberative body of the Republic.Though nominally subject to the higher authority of the reigning Consuls and to the direction of the Senate, the governors, in practice, were largely autonomous. ![]() The Senate would select governors by extending the terms of ex-magistrates and a determine their provinces through their advice. The governor's chief duties included collecting taxes, hearing cases and administering justice, and ensuring security as a military commander. Provincial governors – The governors were the chief administrator of the Republic's many provinces.The Tribune's powers, however, were only valid within the city of Rome itself. If any magistrate (including either Consul) was threatening to take action against a citizen, the citizen could appeal the magistrate's decision to a Tribune for review. The Tribunes had the power to convene the Senate and lay business before it, to convene the Plebeian Council and lay business before, to veto the actions of any Republican magistrate or institution, and to inflict summary punishment upon any person who did not recognize his veto. The Tribunes' powers were based on the sacrosanctity of his person, which prevented him being arrested and made physical injury to him a capital offense. Ten Tribunes were elected each year to serve one-year terms, and only Plebeians were allowed to hold the office. Following the ending of the Conflict of the Orders, the Tribune represented the interests of the individual citizens against those of the state. Tribunes – The office of Tribune was established in the 5th century BC as a method of the plebeians of checking the patrician-dominated government of the day.After a year in office, former Consuls would be assigned by the Senate to serve as a governor ( Proconsul) of one of the Republic's provinces. To prevent corruption in office, each Consul held the power to veto his colleague, with the negative always defeating the affirmative. While their military authority was limited within the city of Rome itself, their powers were absolute outside its boundaries. ![]() Their imperium (military authority) placed all military governors under their command. Over time, the Consuls' domestic functions were gradually shifted to other officials (the Praetors assumed the judicial functions and the Aediles assumed the administrative tasks), resulting in the Consuls serving primarily as military figures. ![]() The Consuls commanded the Republic's military forces, could convene the Senate and lay business before it, could convene any of the Republic's legislative assemblies and lay business before them, and conducted the Republic's foreign relations with other polities.
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