The Roman Republic can be explained as the period between 509 and 27 BC, in which ancient Roman civilization exemplified a republican form of government; where supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives. During the Roman Republic, the two most powerful and principal branches of government included the Consuls and the Senate. It was the Consuls who held supreme civil and military control over Rome; however the republic took precautions to prevent one of the consuls from exercising too much power, such as short one-year terms, vetoes, and the notion of 2 consuls to divide authority. The republic then also included the senate; where at the beginning the senators were chosen only by the patrician class, but over time the plebeians also joined their positions (Bradley, 1990). Throughout the history of the republic, the evolution of government has been driven by the struggle between the aristocracy and commoners. The end of the republic was the result of a series of civil wars and the powerful rule of important historical figures (Princeton.edu, 2014). Gaius Julius Caesar was born on July 12, 100 BC to his father, a praetor who ruled the province of Asia, and his mother Aurelia Cotta, who was of noble birth. The family supported popular ideologies that favored democracy and extended rights to the lower classes. Unlike the Optimates whose only goal was superiority and nobility (Vroma.org, 2011). "His birth marked the beginning of a new chapter in Roman history." By 31, Caesar had fought in several wars and had been heavily involved in politics; he was appointed dictator and consul on multiple occasions (Biography.com, 2014). It was Caesar's assassination and subsequent events that brought to an end a......middle of paper......l [Accessed May 2. 2014].Heritage-history.com, (2012). Homeschool History Curriculum | Heritage history. [online] Available at: http://www.heritage-history.com/www/heritage.php?Dir= wars&FileName= wars_sullacivil.php [Accessed 5 May. 2014].University, C. (2014). HSC Online - Autumn. [online] Hsc.csu.edu.au. Available at: http://hsc.csu.edu.au/ancient_history/historical_periods/rome/2536/Rome78_28BC.html [Accessed 3 May. 2014].Examiner.com, (2014). The assassination of Julius Caesar. [online] Available at: http://www.examiner.com/article/the-assassination-of-julius-caesar [Accessed 31 March 2014]. Wikipedia, (2014). Alea iacta est. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alea_iacta_est [Accessed 3 May. 2014].Griffin, M. (2009). Companion of Julius Caesar. 1st ed. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.Lewis, J. (2010). Rome. 1st ed. London: Robinson.