Gaius Gracchus presiding over the Plebeian Council

The Roman Republic had a representative democracy whereby citizens chose officials to represent them and make decisions. The government contained many different officials and assemblies. The Roman Republic was the inspiration for some modern republics such as the United States and France. Many of the laws from the Roman Republic are still part of the U.S. legal code. Roman culture spread throughout much of the Western world after the Roman Republic defeated Carthage, a trading city in Northern Africa, and won the Punic Wars. These victories put the Mediterranean Sea under the control of Rome, which made Rome the dominant power in the region. Rome’s increasing wealth due to expansion brought many problems that ultimately weakened the Roman Republic and forced it to collapse.