The Roman Republican system was oft looked back on with nostalgia, as can been seen through the works of Tacitus, who frequently denigrates the Imperial system (Tac. Hist. 2ff.). If there is a source that popularised the idea of debauchery and decadence in the Empire, Tacitus was certainly that one (Fontanna, 1993, 27-28). Tacitus was probably not unique in this view, we are often given the impression that the entire senate was unimpressed with Imperialism. But did they ever try and commit to a restoration?

There was one such event at the start of 41 CE, following the death of one of the most tyrannical emperors: Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, more commonly known as Caligula. Caligula was subject to many failed conspiracies against him, and if we trust Suetonius' account of events, far more conspiracies than any other emperor before or after him (Suet. Calig. 56). Ultimately, Caligula was assassinated by a few members of the Praetorian Guard for his decadence. Not a great deal is revealed about the events between the assassination of Caligula and the ascension of Claudius, and we mostly trust Josephus' account of events (Joseph. AJ. 19 & BJ. 2 are the main sources). What we learn from him is that there was a movement within the senate to attempt to restore the Republic; however, the military was not so easily swayed. It was crucial that the military were convinced of the viability of a restoration, and the Senate believed that this would be possible as senior Praetorian Guardsmen had committed a coup by killing Caligula (led by the reputable Chaerea).

In spite of this, the military (and many of the Praetorian Guard) were staunch Imperialists. And in the absence of a ruler, the military had de facto rule, or at least the player with the largest military. The senate and the Praetorian assassins failed to eliminate the entire Imperial family, and the majority of the Praetorian Guard managed to secure the safety of Caligula's uncle, Claudius, who was then proclaimed Emperor. Following this, the assassins and many conspirators (of who some were senators) were summarily executed, and no further attempts to restore the Republic arose in the Empire.

One might argue that the Pisonian Conspiracy (Death of Nero, 65 CE) (Barrett, et al., 2016, 191-193) or the Lucilla Conspriacy (Prior the the death of Commodus, 182 CE) were indicative of sentiments to restore the Republic, however, the following years of four and five emperors respectively is suggestive of the fact that the senate had no such desires to meddle in Imperial affairs ever again.

Edit: Sources:

Primary:

Josephus, Antiquitates Judaicae, XIX, translation can be found here

Josephus, Bellum Judaicum, II, translation can be found here

Suetonius, Twelve Caesars: Caligula, translation can be found here

Tacitus, Histories, II, translation can be found here

Secondary:

Barrett, A. A., Fantham, E., & Yardley, J. C. (2016), The Emperor Nero: A Guide to Ancient Sources. Princeton University Press.

Fontanna, B. (1993). 'Tacitus on Empire and Republic' in History of Political Thought, vol. 14 (1), 27-40