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

Political Character of the Classical Roman Republic 

,).Muchmoresignificantisthefactthatproblemsoveroffice-holding,
anddisputesbetweenoffice-holders,wereresolvedeitherbylegislationby
an assembly,or bya trial before a popularcourt.Thus the tribunes of 
passedaplebiscitumtoallowtheflamenDialistohaveasubstitutetakehisoath
ascuruleaedileforhim(,,–);bycontrast,inwhenthepontifex
maximusforbadealaterflamenDialistogotohisprovinceaspraetor,and
imposedafine,appealwasmadetothetribunes,andthecasewasheardbe-
forethepeople(,,–).Inthepontifexmaximusorderedaduumvir
navalis(anofficialinchargeofthefleet)toabdicatebeforebeingappointed
toapriesthoodasrex sacrorum.Whenherefused,thepontifexagainimposed
afine,theduumvirappealedandthecasewasheardbythethirty-fivetribes
(,,–).Inacomplexconflictbetweenthecensorsandatribune
of the plebs involved a series of moves, all in public—the imposition of a
finebeforeapublicmeeting,thepromulgationofabill,speechesoneither
side,andfinallythetrialofthecensorsfortreasonbeforethecenturiateas-
sembly.Apublicdemonstrationbythefirstmenofthestatewasjustenough
toensureacquittal,withamereeightcenturieslackingforcondemnation
(,).
Wedonotalwaysknowwhetherlawsfortheregulationofsocietyocca-
sionedpubliccontroversyornot.Whatwedoknowisfirstlythattheywere
seenasbeingimposedbythepeople—‘‘manylawsdidthepeoplepassonyour
account,’’asCurculiosaystothemoney-lendersinPlautus’play(Curc.).
Secondly,theoffice-holderconcernedwillhavemadeaspeechproposinga
lawtothepeople;butothersmightalsospeak,fororagainst,asweknow
(forexample)oftheLexCinciaof(Cic.,Cato)ortheLexVoconiaof
.^32 Equally,Catoasconsulofspokeinpublicagainsttheabrogation
oftheLexOppia,asproposedbytwotribunes;butitwasabrogatedallthe
same(Livy,,–,).Heseemstohavespokensimilarlyagainstabroga-
tionofthetribunicianLexOrchiaof,regulatingexpenditureondinners;
whetheritwasinfactabrogatedremainsunclear(ORF^3 ,CatoXLV).^33
Evenwhenaformalvotebythepeoplemaynothavebeeninquestion,
we can see a tendency (as with reports of militaryoperations) both to di-
rectpersuasionandinformationatthepeopleintheformofspeeches,andto
conductritualactionsinpublicbeforethem(seetexttonn.–).Thus,as
Polybiusrecords(,,),itwasinaspeechtothepeoplethatCatomade
his complaint that slave boys sold for more than fields, and jars of pickled

.ORF^3 ,CatoXL,F.–.Cato’sadvocacyofthelaw‘‘loudlyandvehemently’’was
clearlyinpublic,addressedtothepeople.
.ORF^3 ,CatoXXXV;cf.H.H.Scullard,Roman Politics, – B.C.^2 (),–.