Rome, the Greek World, and the East, Vol. 1 - The Roman Republic and the Augustan Revolution

Political Character of the Classical Roman Republic 

recurrentdictatorshipsandrepeatedconsulshipsintheHannibalicwarwere
also over.The phase of major constitutional reforms, tensions, and crises,
whichbeganinandcontinuedwiththeballotlawsoftheearlys(see
texttonn.–),hadnotyetbeenreached.Byanyreasonablestandards
theconstitutionworkedsmoothly.Therewasnointerruptionintheannual
election of office-holders, and not a single Roman is known to have been
killed,oreveninjured,inpoliticalviolenceduringtheperiod.
Thatisnottosaythattherewasnochangeandnointernaldebate.There
wererepeatedpublicissuesaboutwarandpeace,theinternalregulationof
theconstitution,themoralregulationofsociety,theinclusionofmarginal
groupswithinthecitizenbody,thedespatchofcolonies,andtheoccupation
and exploitation of the public land within Italy. Nor is it to say—as often
hasbeensaid—thattheperiodwasmarkedbythesecuredominationofthe
Senateasabody,orthenobilesasagroup.Themainpurposeofthispaperisto
arguethatPolybiuswasrightandhismoderncriticsarewrong.Wedohave
toseethepowerofthepeopleasonesignificantelementinRomanpolitics.
Polybius,itisclaimed,failedtoseethesocialstructureswhichensuredthe
dominationofthenobiles;^2 thatmustmeantherelationshipsofpatronageand
dependencewhichsupposedlydominatedRomanpoliticaldecisionmaking
andrenderedpopularparticipationpassiveandnominal.Buttheexistence
ofthesestructuresisitselfamodernhypothesis,whichhasverylittlesupport
inourevidence.Itistimetoturntoadifferenthypothesis,thatPolybiusdid
notseethembecausetheywerenotthere.
Orrather,verticallinksofobligationcanofcoursebefoundinRoman
society.Butforatleastthreereasonstheycannotserveasthekeytothepoliti-
calprocess;soPolybiuswasrighttoignorethem.Firstisthesheersizeof
thecitizenbody.Second,allourevidenceshowsthatthosewhoaspiredto
officeengagedinvigorousmutualcompetitionforpopularfavour.Whyelse
shouldAntiochusEpiphaneshavecarriedbackwithhimfromhisyearsasa
hostageinRomethatvividimageof Romanpoliticalbehaviourwhichhe
thenexhibitedtothebaffledinhabitantsofAntioch?Dressedinthewhite
togaofacandidatehewouldgoaroundtheagoragraspingmenbythehand
andembracingsome,andaskingfortheirvotesforhimastribuneoraedile
(Pol.,,).
Electoralsupporthadtobesoughtatthetimeandalsopreparedinadvance
bybuildinguptherightreputation.ScipioAemilianus,soPolybiusrecords
(,,),wasunliketheotheryoungmenof hisclass.Hewenthunting;

. F.W.Walbank,Polybius(),.