Did roman kings have to contend with an assembly of nobles?

Answer 1

The senate was composed of patricians, the aristocrats. However, some historians think that some non-patricans also sat in the senate. The senate was the king's advisory body. There is no record of conflict between the senate and the king for the first four kings.

The fifth king doubled the size of the senate and there may have been concerns among the senators as a distinction of rank was created between the old and new senators. However, the reform went ahead. The senate was said to have opposed the succession of the sixth king. This king drummed up popular support counter the senate and had himself elected as king by the popular assembly despite the opposition of the senate. He also made reforms which may have weakened the position of the senators.

The seventh king seized power with a coup d' etat and was a tyrant. He turned against the senate because it could be a source of opposition and decimated the senators. His tyranny led to a rebellion which overthrew the monarchy and established the republic.