As Rome became independent of Etruscan rule, its government renounced the monarch and transformed itself into a republic in order to avoid the tyranny that came with it often with absolute power. autocrat. Rigorous precautions were taken from the start to maintain the balance of power. Additionally, the structure of government was meant to resist bad judgment. The structure of the Roman Republic, with its government and law, provided for a more just system. The principle of Roman government was to function for the people, thus classifying it as a republic (Res Publica or thing or affair of the people). Before the start of the Republic, Rome was ruled by a line of Etruscan kings called Tarquins. The later Tarquin was described by the Roman historian Livy as being harsh towards the Romans, as he promoted forced labor. He decreed the construction of the Great Sewer and the seats of the Circus, which were not the primary cause of fear of the Roman people; workers were also responsible for their typical military tasks (Livy, 98). After the monarchy of Tarquin, the Roman people were still afraid of being subjected to a monarchy again. In order to maintain a balanced legislative body, the government was divided into three powers: the magistrates, the Senate and the popular assemblies. The magistrates are what the U.S. government would consider the executive branch. They ran the political and military aspects of the government and were led by the consuls. In most cases, magistrates could only hold office for a year, so they did not have enough time to accumulate power and ultimately overthrow the government or leave a significant impression on the Republic... middle of paper . ..... note that this is quite similar in nature to the obligation a police officer has today in the United States when he must disclose a person's rights before being arrested. It is a construct of checks and balances that attempts to keep the system fair. In 509 BC, the Tarquin line of kings was removed from power and Rome began to become a Republic. The changes in the government and society of Rome were immense and aimed at the improvement of the city and its inhabitants. This new aspiring Republic did not transform itself into a perfect society overnight; With the birth of the Republic many new problems appeared. Yet it would be difficult to imagine our modern society that we consider democratic and just, not resting on the pillars and foundations that the Roman Republic gave us with its ideas about branches of government with a system of checks and balances as well than on the code. law created by the Romans.