I would note that the word Republic comes from Latin (‘Res Publica’), and that the Romans regarded it as a unique form of government itself - one which concerned itself with the common good (‘Res Publica’ - ‘a matter of the public’) and not just the good of its decision-makers - something which belonged to the people, or at least to general society. Theoretically. Obviously there is a significant gap in execution. Also, that monarchy in other cultures of the period was extremely common.
With that in mind, I think the distinction is important, not just in the Roman conception of themselves, but also in the way we should view the justifications of the state apparatus.
I would note that the word Republic comes from Latin (‘Res Publica’), and that the Romans regarded it as a unique form of government itself - one which concerned itself with the common good (‘Res Publica’ - ‘a matter of the public’) and not just the good of its decision-makers - something which belonged to the people, or at least to general society. Theoretically. Obviously there is a significant gap in execution. Also, that monarchy in other cultures of the period was extremely common.
With that in mind, I think the distinction is important, not just in the Roman conception of themselves, but also in the way we should view the justifications of the state apparatus.