The Roman Republic was one of three phases of ancient Roman civilization that began with the overthrow of the monarchy and ended with the imperial period of 509 BC CE to 29 BCE. It was the largest civilization at the time (Roman Republic, 2014). Beginning in the first century BCE, the Republic's complex constitution and laws began to weaken as the Republic grew. Due to its size and population, corruption and a continued power vacuum are more likely to occur (M. Beard, 2011). The Republic was constantly expanding because the Romans needed war slaves (V. Gossack, 2012). Social inequalities began to widen due to slavery and led to serious conflicts between different social classes (History.com, 2014). With its economy and agricultural production declining, the Republic lost its grip on the empire and led to the turnover of Octavian in 27 BCE. Issues such as social inequality, debt problems, deflation, slavery, urban decay, and unemployment interconnected and pushed the Roman Republic toward an imperial state. period.The Romans created the largest slave society in history after the Hellenistic era, and this was the key to the success and failure of the Republic. Cato the Elder, a senator, replaced small individual farms with latifundias (large plantations) using slave labor. As a result, small farmers had to close their doors and move to cities to work. Cato the Elder and other patricians took advantage of this by obtaining more land and wealth (J. Moody). The number of slaves increased exponentially during the first two centuries of the Roman Republic as their expansion continued. Slavery led to low morale and a “dark age” of technological developments. The Romans didn't just rely on slaves for work; the slave class was an essential element...... middle of paper ...... 13, 2014, of Notre Dame "Spartacus". BBC News. BBC and Web. May 11, 2014. McGing, BRian. “Encyclopedia Iranica.” Mithradates VI. Iranica Encyclopedia, July 15, 2009. Web. May 13, 2014. Krugman, Paul. “Why is deflation bad?” » Why is deflation bad? New York Times, August 2, 2010. Web. May 14, 2014. “Life in Roman times. » PBS. PBS, 2006. The web. May 13, 2014. Williams, John. "Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco." Economic research. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, nd Web. May 14, 2014. Grabmeier, Jeff. “Higher crime rate linked to low wages and unemployment, study finds.” Higher crime rate linked to low wages and unemployment, study finds. Columbus, Ohio, October 4, 2012. Web. May 14, 2014. Mazurek, Elizabeth. “The Fall of the Republic, Part 1: The Reforms of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus.” — Notre Dame OpenCourseWare. University of Notre Dame, nd Web. May 13 2014.