How was the ambition of the Roman Nobiles important to republican government?

[MSB]

I have always wondered that after reading in certain book that the ambitions were important to hold up the republic. However the book did not explain why this was? So could one of you expert historians please answer the question:
How was the ambition of the Roman Nobiles important to Roman republican government?
Thankyou

[Geoffrey S]

Fundamentally the Roman constitution encouraged military achievements by making it such an integral part in climbing through the offices. Military participation was a prerequisite, and the greater the glory gained the greater the chance that people would remember and vote for a particular person. So to be succesful in Rome one would have to take part in campaigns, preferably succesfully; not only that, but the limitations of time attached to an office would drive senators to achieve as much as they could within their time in office. Aside from such political issues, personal gains in the form of booty and slaves were more standardised priorities, not strictly Roman ones.

W.V. Harris wrote the useful War and Imperialism in Republican Rome, containing chapters dealing with this subject.

[MSB]

Thanks Geoffrey S :thumbsup:

[Lord Condormanius]

Not to mention that this "ambition" so to speak would ultimately lead to development of some famous characters (e.g. Gracchi, Marius, Sulla) who would be able to sway public opinion, military loyalty (that is, in many cases the military tended to be loyal to individual generals rather than to Rome).

But yes, I guess it can all be boiled down to the Cursus Honorum that would get peoples minds set in that way.

[Cataphract_Of_The_City]

Ambition, glory and most of all being the best was the very soul of the republic.