Did the senate control the roman republic?

No-one did. The system of checks and balance

of powers of the Roman Republic was restricted to the executive

officers of state (the consuls, praetors, censors, aediles and

quaestors). Officers of the same rank could veto each other and

officers of higher rank could veto officers of lower rank. The

Roman senate was not a legislative body. Bills were submitted by

the consuls to the vote of the Assembly of the Soldiers or the

Assembly of the Tribes (an assembly of the districts) or by the

plebeian tribunes who submitted them to the vote of the Plebeian

Council. These were popular assemblies. Thus, the people themselves

voted on bills. The senators were not elected. They were drawn for

the families of the patrician aristocracy or they were former

officers of state. The latter automatically became senators for

life. It was an advisory body were policy matters were discussed

and which provided advice on bills (senatus consultum) and

sometimes issued decrees. It also supervised the treasury. On

social matters it represented the interests of the aristocracy.

With the increase in Roman military activity and imperial expansion

it became the most powerful institution of the Republic. This is

because it was a body which was capable of co-ordinating the

deployment of several legions on several fronts and of organising

the administration of the Roman provinces.