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

 The Roman Republic

TheInternalRegulationofSocietyandGovernment

Ifcontroversyisrarelyattestedasregardstheexploitationandmanagement
ofItaly,thesameishardlytrueoftheinternalregulationoftheRomancom-
munity itself. Here too, we should give the proper emphasis to the rules
whichexpressedthepowerofthepeopleoveritselectedmagistrates.^26 Al-
readyfromthepreviouscenturywemaynotenotmerelytheLexClaudia,
butthetribunicianlawof:‘‘Lettheurbanpraetornowinoffice,andany
future holder, have two lictors in attendance and give justice between the
citizensuptothelasthouroftheday.’’^27 InsimilarveinthetribunicianLex
Siliaofthesecondhalfofthethirdcenturyhadestablishedfixedweightsand
measures, and imposed a fine on any magistratewho contravened them.^28
Then,atsomepointbetweenand,atribunicianLexPapiriaobliged
theurbanpraetortoseetotheelectionof ‘‘threemeninchargeofcapital
cases’’(tresviri capitales),andlaidonthemintheirturnthedutyofjudgingin
accordancewiththelaws.^29 Atribunecouldalsocarryaplebiscitumtocom-
pelthemagistratesinofficeinaparticularyeartofollowacertaincourse,as
TerentiusCulleodidin,inobligingthecensorstoenrolalloffreebirth
(Plut.,Flam.,).^30 Perhaps even more significant is the standing obliga-
tiononallmagistratestotakeanoathtoobeythelawswithinfivedaysof
assumingoffice(Livy,,–).
Ithardlyneedstobesaidthatthisperiodsawasteadyevolutionofthe
rules and conventions regulating the conditions of access to office; L.Vil-
lius’tribunicianlawofontheagesatwhichmagistraciesmightbeheldis
merelythemostprominentofthem.^31 Changesintherules,orthecreation
ofnewoffices,requiredavoteofthepeople,asinthecreationof‘‘threemen
inchargeofthepublicfeasts’’(tresviri epulones)in(Livy,,),orthe
lawtoallowmilitarytribunestobeappointedbytheimperatoresin(,

. Forthenotionofalexastheexpressionofthecollectivepowerofthepeople,see,
e.g.,F.Serrao,Classi,partiti e legge nella repubblica romana(),ff.
. Censorinus,Dedienatali,;FIRA^2 I,;P.F.Girard,F.Senn,andV.Giuffrè,LesLois
des romains^7 (),no.(p.).SeenowM.Crawford,ed.,Roman StatutesI–II(London,
),no..
. FestusL;FIRA^2 I,;Girardetal.(n.),no..SeenowCrawford(n.),no..
. FestusL;FIRA^2 I,;Girardetal.(n.),no..SeenowCrawford(n.),no..
. Ithaslongbeendisputedwhatgroupsarereallyreferredtohere.Forarecentdis-
cussion,seeM.Humbert,Municipium et civitas sine suffragio(),–,suggestingcives
sine suffragio(citizenswithoutthevote)ratherthansonsoffreedmen.Inthatcasethisissue
wouldbecloselyrelatedtothatof.
. Livy,,.SeeA.E.Astin,TheLexAnnalisbeforeSulla();G.Rögler,‘‘DieLex
VilliaAnnalis,’’Klio():;R.Develin,Patterns in Office-Holding, – B.C.().