community and reflected the Roman desire to incorporate aspects of foreign cul-
tures that they found desirable while still maintaining a clear sense of their own Roman
identity.Competition in the Late Republic
The late republic, which conventionally begins with the tribunate of Tiberius
Gracchus in 133 bce, witnessed the gradual disintegration of the balances that had
kept the republican form of government operating smoothly. The increasing riches
coming into Roman society led to increasing disparities among the Romans in wealth
and also heightened the competition for power. The system for mediating between
the desires of individuals and that of the aristocracy as a social collective began to
break down, while the populus, often encouraged by members of the elite who
saw popular support as a means to power, demanded a more direct role in decision-
making. Reforms in army recruitment allowed the commanders to wield their armies
as political weapons, and the late republic is well known for the series of military
dynasts who dominated the political stage: Marius, Sulla, Pompey the Great, Julius
Caesar. Historians often present this period as one of decline, from a harmonious
and selfless republic to petty bickering and selfish civil war that ultimately culmi-
nated in the demise of republican rule in favor of an autocratic system.
This narrative of decline attached to the politics of the late Roman republic has
often been transferred to Roman religion, but recent studies have emphasized the
fallacy of this approach. The notion that Roman religion was in decline stems largely
from the notion that religion was manipulated by a disbelieving elite in order to
advance political aims during the late republic. In fact the central place often occupied
by religion in the struggles of the last century of the republic is the surest sign of
its vitality; the link between religion and politics suggests that we should expect
to find religion involved in political wrangling. But we should expect to see changes
in Roman religion that correspond to the changes in Roman society: as the political
struggles began to transform Rome, the religious system needed to adapt to the
new circumstances. These innovations carried further processes that had been under-
way in Roman society, and helped mark the next stage in the evolution of Roman
civilization.
Some developments in the late republic reflected the changed structure of the
political system, as the processes set in motion by Tiberius Gracchus resulted in
the populusobtaining a larger role in the decision-making process. Whereas in the
middle republic, new members of the priestly colleges were chosen by the remain-
ing members of the college, that is, the political elite, in 104 bcea law handed
selection of priests for the major colleges to the tribal assembly. Although other priests
continued to be appointed and the priestly colleges drew up the list of candidates to
be submitted for the election, this law marked a significant shift of decision-making
authority from the aristocracy to the people, as can be gauged by the subsequent
continuing legislative battle. Sulla felt this transfer significant enough that his
legislative program, as part of its short-lived attempt to limit the authority of the
Urban Religion in the Middle and Late Republic 65