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

Political Character of the Classical Roman Republic 

Itwasclearlycommon,thoughinnowayformallyrequired,thataman’s
first public office should be as one of the twenty-four military tribunes
electedeachyearbythetribalassembly;thisisatanyrateknownofallthree
ofthefiguresfromthisperiodofwhomwehavebiographies:Cato,Flami-
ninus,andAemiliusPaullus.Wastherecompetitionalreadyatthislevel?All
weknowisthatinacrisiswascreatedbytheabsenceofcandidates(Pol.,
,),whichclearlyimpliesthatinnormalyearstherewereatleastenough.If
wethinkonlyofthenormaltwenty-foursuccessfulcandidates(subtracting
the older men, even ex-consuls,who might still hold this post), mortality
alonewillclearlynothavereducedcompetitiontothetwowhowouldhold
theconsulshiptwentytotwenty-fiveyearslater.Butourliteraryevidence
hardlyeverdwellsonthecompetitionforofficeslowerthantheconsulship
orcensorship,andnotalwayseventhere.Asinglechanceitemrecordsthat
AemiliusPaullushadtwelvecompetitorsfortheaedileshipof(Plut.,Aem.
Paul.,),allofwhomweresaidtohavesubsequentlyreachedtheconsul-
ship;theimplicationisevidentlythatitwouldhavebeennormalthatnot
allofthemwouldachievetheconsulship.However,AntiochusEpiphanes’
performancesintheagoraofAntiochstronglysuggestthatcompetitionwas
normalinelectionsfortheaedileshipandtribunate.Weshouldalsoremem-
ber the normal preliminaries to a political career which Polybius notes—
greetingmenintheForumandengaginginadvocacyinordertorecommend
oneselftothepeople.ThatpointisexactlymatchedbyPlautus’representa-
tioninMenaechmi(–) of men seeking as manyclientesas possible, in
casesbeforethepeopleorin iure(beforethepraetor)orad iudicem(beforea
judge)—alltakingplaceintheForum.AlternativelyPlutarchimplies(Cato
,)thatCatobuiltuphisearliestsupportbyadvocacyintownsandvillages
outsideRome;whatcourtsPlutarchmeanstorefertoisnotclear.^44
Advocacymusthavecreatedsomeobligationsonthepartofthepersons
represented(itissignificantthatthetribunicianLexCinciaofhadmade
illegalmoreconcreteexpressionsofgratitude);itwillalso,perhapsmoreim-
portant,haveestablishedareputationasanoratoramongthecitizenswho
votedinjudicialassemblies,orjustthosewhowereanywaytobefoundin
theForumarea,andmightprovideanaudience.Butwhenwecometothe
electoralprocessitself,ashasoftenbeennoted,wedonotseemtofindformal
electionspeecheseitherbythecandidatesthemselvesorbytheirsupporters.
Inonecase,however,thecensorialelectionof,Livy(,,–)does

. PossiblythereferenceistocasesbeforethePraefecti iure dicundo(asProfessorBrunt
suggeststome).SeeP.A.Brunt,Italian Manpower(),–,andHumbert(n.),–
.