The
Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient
Roman Republic. It was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the
consuls, and later by the
censors. After a
Roman magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic appointment to the Senate. According to the Greek historian
Polybius, our principal source on the
Constitution of the Roman Republic, the
Roman Senate was the predominant branch of government. Polybius noted that it was the
consuls (the highest-ranking of the regular magistrates) who led the armies and the civil government in Rome, and it was the
Roman assemblies which had the ultimate authority over elections, legislation, and criminal trials. However, since the
Senate controlled money, administration, and the details of foreign policy, it had the most control over day-to-day life. The power and authority of the Senate derived from precedent, the high caliber and prestige of the senators, and the Senate's unbroken lineage, which dated back to the founding of the Republic in 509 BC.