Yeah, it was rather nasty even as a Republic. Even when they weren't in the midst of a civil war there were moments where you'd have literal gangs in the streets being used to delay or secure elections, slave revolts, issues over farmland distribution that would often lead to starvation. Conflict of the orders happened - 200 something year long fight for pleb representation and political mobility.

It really was an absolute circus at times, and it's romanticized too much.