When Rome became independent from Etruscan rule, its government abandoned the monarch and transformed into a Republic as a way to avoid the tyranny that many times comes with absolute government autocrat. Strict precautions were taken from the beginning to keep power balanced. Furthermore, the government structure had to be resistant to misjudgments. 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, therefore classifying it as a republic (Res Publica or Thing or Matter of the People). Before the start of the Republic, Rome was ruled by a line of Etruscan kings called the Tarquins. The late Tarquinius was described by the Roman historian Titus Livy as harsh towards the Romans, as he promoted forced labor. He decreed the construction of the Great Sewer and the Circus seats, which were not the main cause of the terror of the Roman people; the workers were also responsible for their typical military tasks (Livy, 98). After the Tarquin monarchy, the Roman people had an eternal fear of being subjected to a monarchy again. To maintain a balanced legislature, the government was divided into three branches: magistrates, Senate, and popular assemblies. The judiciary is what the American government would consider the executive branch. They were the leaders of the political and military aspects of the government and were led by the consuls. In most cases, magistrates could only serve for a year, so they didn't have enough time to amass power and ultimately overthrow the government or leave a significant imprint on the Republic... mid-paper. .....note that this is quite similar in nature to the obligation a policeman has in the United States today when he must disclose someone's rights before being detained. It is a check and balance construct that seeks to keep the system fair. In 509 BC, the Tarquinian line of kings was retired from power and Rome began its position as a Republic. The changes in Rome's government and society were immense and aimed at the betterment of the city and its people. This would-be new Republic did not transform into a perfect society overnight; with the birth of the Republic came many new problems. However, it would be difficult to imagine our modern society, which 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 as the code of law created by the Romans.