The Romans were under the influence of the Etruscans and the Greeks. This means they borrowed things from them. The Romans borrowed skills that enabled them to build their unique political institutions. First the Romans modeled the Etruscan government, powerful kings, including actual Etruscan Conquerors. The Senate, was a council of elders that advised the king. The king appointed the people in the senate, he usually chose from the Patricians, "men with fathers" (men whose fathers already belonged to the Senate). The Senate chose who the kings successor was when the king died.
Around 500 B.C. the Etruscan rulers were overthrown, and monarchy was abolished. The Roman Government became a Republic, or the "peoples business". The Roman Republic developed very slowly because of social struggles between aristocrats and commoners. When it was finally developed, the result was a mixture of a Greek democracy and an oligarchy.
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