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

 The Roman Republic

This assumption about the standard means of communication is clearly
reflected in the decree of the Senate about the Bacchanalia in . It lays
downasregardstheallies(foederati):‘‘LetnoneofthemhaveaBacchanal.If
thereareanywhodecidethattheyrequiretohaveaBacchanal,theyshould
cometotheurbanpraetorinRome,andwhentheirwordshavebeenheard,
theSenateshoulddecideonthematter.’’^18 TheSenatedidindeedbeginin
thisperiod,asiswellknown,toissueinstructionstocommunitiesinItaly.^19
Butdocumentaryevidenceshowsitdoingsoequallyabroad,asinthede-
creesoftheSenateaboutThisbaein,abouttheSerapeumofDeloscirca
orabouttheterritorialdisputebetweenPrieneandMagnesiasometime
inthemid-century.^20
ButwhentheSenaterepliedtoaself-exculpatoryembassyfromTiburin
, it is noticeable that the senators made quite explicit their role as rep-
resentativesoftheRomanpeople:‘‘Sinceasregardsthesemattersyouhave
beenfreedofblamebytheSenate,youought,webelieve,toassumethatyou
willsimilarlybefreedof blamebytheRomanPeople.’’^21 Theslighthesita-
tionisinteresting,andistobeseenagainsttherepeatedinvolvementofthe
peopleinmeasuresaffectingItaly,especiallythoseconcerningland,colonies,
andtheboundariesofthecitizenbody;thepassingofsuchlawsindeedmarks
animportantdistinctionbetweenItalyandtheotherregionsunderRoman
domination. Only if no legislation was required could matters be handled
solely by the Senate; so,when Latin allies (socii Latini nominis) complained
inthattheircitizensweremigratingtoRome,theSenatecouldgivea
praetor the task of seeking them out and sending them home (Livy , ,
–).Equally,theSenatecouldrulethatmenfromLatincolonieswhohad
putdowntheirnamesforRomancitizencoloniescouldnotcountasRoman
citizensuntilthecolonieswereactuallyestablished.^22 Butwheninem-
bassiescomplainedintheSenateaboutLatinimmigrationtoRomeandalso
of Samnite and Paelignian immigration to Fregellae, a Latin colony, a law
hadtobepassedtochangetherules(Livy,,–;,–),justasithad
intoextendthelawsrelatingtoloansmadetoRomancitizenstocover
Latinsandallies(,,–).
WhenembassiescametotheSenatefromLatincoloniesaskingforsupple-
mentarycoloni,theSenate(itseems)coulddecideonafavourablereply.But,

.ILS;FIRA^2 I,.
. See,e.g.,A.H.McDonald,‘‘RomeandtheItalianConfederation(–B.C.),’’
JRS():.
. Sherk(n.),nos.,,and.
.ILS;FIRA^2 ,.
. Livy,,–;forthisinterpretationseeBriscoe’scommentary.