"Social unrest was common in ancient Rome, and the Senate often faced uprisings of the plebeian class that proved difficult to suppress. Particularly in the late Republic, assemblies of the people were so liable to escalate into rioting and city-wide chaos that the Senate was forced to enact legislation which 'authorized the use of an #ArmedPosse' (Nippel, p.51) for Roman magistrates and patricians who might be swept up in the chaos that so often followed the passing of a new law.
"When this measure proved insufficient — 'bodyguards' could be readily bribed, and often took the law into their own hands — the urban cohorts were established to deal with civil disorder. But even these experienced veterans could be caught off guard and unable to deal with extensive rioting.
"Indeed, it is almost impossible for the modern mind to underestimate the social unrest and destruction so essential to the Roman modus vivendi, especially in times of political turbulence.
"Riots in Rome had many causes: #FoodShortages; #HighRent costs for houses and apartments that were liable to sudden and catastrophic collapse; political tensions. Even the undesired result of a chariot race or a sub-standard theatre show could incite city-wide violence."
https://eidolon.pub/cry-havoc-e407e34a57fc
#NoKings #NoEmperors #EndOfTheRepublic #NationalGuard #HistoryRepeatsItself #USPol