The Roman Senate governed Ancient Rome for five centuries. It looked much like the Congress today. The purpose of the Roman Senate was to rule in accordance with the wishes of the Roman People. The building in which the Roman Senate met, the “Curia Julia,” still stands in Rome today.

In 27 B.C., Augustus Caesar formally took control of Rome, and established the Roman Empire. But the Roman Emperors didn’t abolish the Senate. Instead, the Roman Senate continued to meet, for five more centuries, doing pretty much nothing.

During the Roman Empire, the Emperor held all the power. The Senate was simply a debating society, chosen by the Emperor, and serving at his pleasure. To prove this point, in 39 A.D., Emperor Caligula appointed his horse, Incitatus, to the Roman Senate.

What we are heading for, here in America, is something very much like that. The way things are going, Big Money will choose our “leaders” in Congress, and they will serve at Big Money’s pleasure.

Big Money doesn’t put horses in Congress. Just the hind-quarters of horses.

Hmmm…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incitatus

Caligula Introduces Senator Incitatus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J6-t2mtNtU&feature=player_embedded