The Praetorship In The Roman Republic: Volume 2

The Praetorship in the Roman Republic is a two-volume study of the history of the Roman praetorship. The first volume covers the development of legitimate power from the kings to the early chief magistrates, and the second volume discusses how the introduction of C. Gracchus' provincia repetundarum pushed the old city-state system to its functional limits.

Brennan's book surveys the history of the Roman praetorship, which was one of the most enduring Roman political institutions, occupying the practical center of Roman Republican administrative life for over three centuries. The study addresses political, social, military and legal history, as well as Roman religion. Volume I begins with a survey of Roman (and modern) views on the development of legitimate power-from the kings, through the early chief magistrates, and down through the creation and early years of the praetorship. Volume II discusses how the introduction in 122 of C. Gracchus' provincia repetundarum pushed the old city-state system to its functional limits. Review: The list of topics is enormous, the accumulated detailed scholarship stunning. There is no doubt that Brennan's massive study is a necessary addition to the library of every professional historian of Rome and will be employed by scholars as the standard work on the praetorship for decades to come. * American Historical Review * Through his carefully constructed chronology of the praetorship, Brennan provides a new and illuminating focal point for examining the problems of the late Republic. His detailed discussion of the entire Republican period helps us to understand better the changes that were made to the system of governance. The modificiations enabled the Romans to acquire and expand their empire, but these changes, as Brennan makes clear, also resulted in the problems that brought down the Republic. * New England Classical Journal *