The Roman Republic
Senate,againstthewishesoftheabsentconsul,tovoteatriumph(Livy,
,–,).TherelativesandfriendsofManliusVulsoperformedasimilar
functionin(,,–,),andhisfriendslaterpersuadedtheSenate‘‘to
curryfavourwiththepeople’’bypayingbackthetaxcollectedforthewar
(,,–).InthesameyearM.FulviusNobiliorreturnedtoasktheSen-
atetovotehimatriumph.Whenatribunesaidhewouldvetothisuntilthe
returnoftheconsul,M.AemiliusLepidus,Fulviusspokeoftheenmitybe-
tweenhimselfandtheconsul,andSemproniusGracchusisreportedtohave
remindedthetribunethathisofficehadbeenentrustedtohimbythepeople
‘‘forrenderingassistancetoandprotectingthefreedomofprivatecitizens,
notforbolsteringupconsulardomination’’(,,–,).
Asregardsthepoliticsofsenatorialdecisionmaking,whatweknowthere-
foreis,firstly,theoperationofpubliclyacknowledgedindividualfriendships
and enmities,amicitiaeandinimicitiae,on the part of a few prominent per-
sonsonly.Themostpublicofallwastheenmitybetweenthesesametwo,
AemiliusLepidusandFulviusNobilior,whowereformallyreconciledina
public ceremonyafter their joint election as censors for (, , –,
).Whatwedonotknow,andhavenorighttopresume,istheexistenceof
largergroupingsorassociations,‘‘Scipionic’’or‘‘Fulvian’’partiesorfactions,^56
covering any significant proportion of the members of the Senate,or
(stillless)extendingoversuccessivegenerations.Wecannotignorethefact
baldlyand correctly stated by P. A. Brunt: ‘‘No such stable groups are ex-
plicitlyattestedatanyperiod.’’^57 Thatbeingso,expressionsofreservationor
caution,whichhaveoftenbeenregistered,^58 arenotsufficient.Onthecon-
trary, it is for thosewho follow the ‘‘factions hypothesis’’ to statewhat its
logicalandevidentialfoundationsare.
Untilthatisdone,weshouldstartfromwhatisexplicitlypresentinthe
evidence.TheSenatemetinavarietyof locations,allofwhichwerewere
technicallytempla(placesformallyrenderedsacredbyinauguration)andof
whichthemostimportantwastheCuriaHostilia.^59 TheCurialaydirectly
adjacent to the traditional meeting place of the people, the Comitium, so
thattheSenatecouldactuallybedescribedincontemporarydocumentsas
. Theinapplicabilityandunhelpfulnessofthistermwasdemonstratedverywellby
R.Seager,‘‘Factio:SomeObservations,’’JRS():.
.Gnomon():.
. See,e.g.,Astin(n.),ff.,andesp.Chr.Meier,Res Publica Amissa^2 ().
. OnthemeetingplacesoftherepublicanSenate,seenowM.Bonnefond,‘‘Espace,
temps et idéologie: le Sénat dans la cité romaine républicaine,’’Dial.di Arch., ser.,
():.