The transition from a monarchy to a republic for the ancient city of Rome was a long process filled with endless power struggles (Spielvogel 88). As Rome grew, more and more people wanted a share of this new great world power. The military played an important role in ancient Rome because it provided all the wealth necessary for Rome's sustenance. As a result, great military leaders were popular with the Roman people because they brought in money. Many people rose to power this way, but some were just born into powerful families. However, during this time of unrest, people were desperate to gain power, even if it meant murder. By this method, many leaders died even though they did not come to power through the military. In the Roman Republic, many leaders either gained power through unorthodox measures or were dismissed because they could no longer achieve ultimate power and support. According to legend, Romulus founded the great city of Rome (Spielvogel 87). Romulus and Remus were the twin sons of the god Mars and Rhea Silva (Hughes 16). They were orphans and raised by a she-wolf. Disagreeing over the city, Romulus killed Remus for having objections about the city (Hughes 17). Additionally, Romulus became the first ruler and king of Rome. Romulus suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth, and no one knows for sure what happened to the first king of Rome. Needless to say, Romulus set a precedent because he killed his brother in order to gain sustained power (Hughes 19). Due to growing evidence that Rome was having economic problems in 130 BC, the Gracchus brothers believed that Rome's problem was decline. small farmers and wanted change (Spielvogel 101). Tiberius Gracchus was a member of the aristocracy and new tribune. He's in the middle of a paper...he would do whatever it took to stop it. This is why Gaius and Tiberius Gracchus were murdered, because they proposed a solution for the poor of Rome and the senators did not approve of it. From the beginning with Romulus, murder was a common method of gaining power. Another common method was the use of the army. As you can see in the case of Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Caesar and Octavian, a strong army in the time of Rome can take you far in the political world. Rome was a time when rulers rose and fell because of their selfish ambition. Works Cited Bingham, Jane, Fiona Chandler, Jane Chisholm, Gill Harvey, Lisa Miles, Struan Reid and Sam Taplin. Encyclopedia of the ancient world. London: Usborne, 2002. Print. Hughes, Robert. Rome. New York: Knopf, 2011. Print.Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization: A Brief History. 7th ed. Flight. 1. Boston: Wadsworth, 2011. Print.