In the late 6th century BCE, the small city-state of Rome overthrew the shackles of monarchy and created a republican government that, in theory if not always in practice, represented the wishes of its citizens. From this basis the city would go on to conquer all of the Italian peninsula and large parts of the Mediterranean world and beyond.

After the fall of the last of the 7 Roman Kings, the Roman Republic was established. Initially the power of the government was controlled by a small group of wealthy families known as the Patricians. The other Roman citizens that did not have a voice in government at the time were known as the Plebeians. Tensions between the two classes continued to grow, especially since the poorer residents of the city provided the bulk of the army. They asked themselves why they should fight in a war if all of the profits go to the wealthy. Finally, in 494 BCE the plebeians went on strike, gathering outside Rome and refusing to move until they were granted representation; this was the famed Conflict of Orders or the First Succession of the Plebs. The strike worked, and the plebeians would be rewarded with an assembly of their own – the Concilium Plebis or Council of the Plebs. Although the government of Rome could never be considered a true democracy, it did provide many of its citizens (women excluded) with a say in how their city was ruled. Giving a voice in government to some (not all) of the people, having written laws, and having a separation of power within the government (like the Roman Senate sharing power with the Emperor) greatly influenced the governments of many modern democracies, like the United States.