DBWI : Caligula didn't restore the Roman Republic?

[Yuelang]

Well, for all of you that were fascinated by the short-lived Second Roman Monarchy (the Principate), as well as Caligula the Philosopher, the Virtuous, the almost legendary restorer of the Republic, champion of the Senate and People of Rome. There is a burning question in my mind about this...

in 37 AD, many said after a brief illness borne of the Gods, the then Imperator Caligula wake up a changed man, and from that, he almost overnight restored Roman Republicanism while maintaining order. Of course, we all knew that he choose to live a simple, yet fulfilling life as philiosopher who write many treaties about the value of Republicanism, inventing the tripartite chambers who still used (with modifications) 2000 years later as the proven system of checks and balances, and laid the basic groundworks of what will known later as Democracy, where every Citizens have votes and interest in ruling.

But say, what if instead of being the Virtuous Philosopher we all knew and love, Caligula end up liking being in absolute power and keep being a Monarch, or worse, get power-mad and become a tyrant?

 

[Isfendil]

Caligula could not have gone power mad- that he was able to make such an easily corruptible system so corruption proof in such short time- and then revive it- confirms him as a political genius. Not to mention that he foreshadowed Malikism, Anarchy, and Unionism in his works. He was so positively lauded that his corpus made it all the way to Axum, for goodness sake!

 

[Avrorrange]

Caligula could not have gone power mad- that he was able to make such an easily corruptible system so corruption proof in such short time- and then revive it- confirms him as a political genius. Not to mention that he foreshadowed Malikism, Anarchy, and Unionism in his works. He was so positively lauded that his corpus made it all the way to Axum, for goodness sake!

OOC:Sounds sarcastic.But yeah,it's ASB that republicanism can somehow work for an area as large the Roman Empire without modern communications.And don't even try to compare it to the US.Unlike the Roman Empire,the US isn't really beset by strong enemies from different directions.This is why the US can afford to cut down the military and avoid any rise of the military in politics.

 

[Isfendil]

OOC:Sounds sarcastic.But yeah,it's ASB that republicanism can somehow work for an area as large the Roman Empire without modern communications.And don't even try to compare it to the US.Unlike the Roman Empire,the US isn't really beset by strong enemies from different directions.This is why the US can afford to cut down the military and avoid any rise of the military in politics.

OOC: isn't it possible that the senate is effectively the emperor and the governor system remains in place? I mean it's probably not perfect but the old system isn't very good either.

 

[West]

Caligula's reforms only worked because of the technology that the roman empire built upon. Take for example Arcemedi's he was almost killed by an angry Roman, if he died then he would never end up creating the printing press. No printing press means that the steam engine remains just a novelty, it means no explosion of literacy.

And with our a literate population and a greatly expanding system of roads the republic can not work.

 

[SlyDessertFox]

OOC: Nobody was restoring the Republic by the 30s CE.

 

[Avrorrange]

OOC: isn't it possible that the senate is effectively the emperor and the governor system remains in place? I mean it's probably not perfect but the old system isn't very good either.

OOC:How is that any different from the Old Republic?

 

[Agricola]

OOC:How is that any different from the Old Republic?

OOC: It is not!

The republican senate was de facto (not de iure) the highest executive, legislative and partially iurisdiction of the roman republic. The principes starting with Augustus usurped this power step-by-step and concentrated the power in one hand supported by a growing, loyal and non-constitutional court.

Everybody, who likes to establish a more republican system (surely not the failed and incapable constitution of the old res publica libera) has to convince the romans and the readers of this forum, that the new system can avoid the anarchy of the late republic, when oligarchs managed to accumulate immense wealth, political- and military power and therefore were able to bypass the constitution. Even with a somewhat more constitutional monarchy, the so called "senatorial principate", you have to answer this important question first!

I don't say it is impossible. Caligula's reign is probably one of the latest possible PODs, to at least avoid an absolutistic principate. But such a TL is anything but trivial. It needs a lot of hard and very detailed work in every department of roman structures and society. Every emperor who just gives back his patrimonium to the aerarium and abdicates his imperii simply commits suicide. Followed by a civil war and a new princeps. An emperor who really likes to impelement a solid constitution with more participation of the senate has to work 24x7 and commit his entire and hopefully very long life (like Augustus) to this reform. There is no room for music or philosophy or anything else. He has to be a workoholic in order to be succesful and survive this adventure.

PS: what kind of tripartite chambers? And why should the roman aristocracy be convinced, that this is a good idea?

PSS: Just to be a bit more constructive. The only chance Caligula has to retire is, to adopt a prominent senator of consular rank as co-emperor, running the empire, while he is focussing on philosophy and politology. Hoping that this guy is not killing him and is listening to his ideas. The Iunii Silani as last descendants of Augustus come to mind. But it still sounds like a mission impossible to me. The initial idea of the OP itself is just weird.