Political Character of the Classical Roman Republic theAtriumLibertatis(Livy,,);apraetorofbeingrequiredeither
togotohisallottedprovinceortotakeanoathbeforeapublicmeeting(pro
contione)thathissacrificialobligationspreventedhim(,,–);orSem-
proniusGracchusswearing‘‘inpublic’’thathehadnotregainedthefriend-
ship and favour of Scipio Africanus (Aulus Gellius , , ). It was to the
Forumalsothatthecitizencouldthinkofgoingtoseekjustice.Weshould
rememberthewrongedfatherinCaecilius’playPlocius(–)saying:‘‘we
aregoingtotheplebs’’;‘‘ourdefenceistobemadeinpublic’’and‘‘Ishallgo
totheforumandIshallactinprotectionofpoverty.’’Weshouldrecalltoo
theevocationinPlautusofthevarioustypesofmentobefound,atlaw,at
business,andatleisure,aroundtheComitium,theshrineofCloacina,the
basilica,theForumPiscarium,thelowerForum,beforethetempleofCas-
tor,alongtheVicusTuscus(Curculio,–).Therapidconstructioninthis
periodofthegreatbasilicaswhichfrontedontheForumarea—thePorcia
of,theAemiliaof,andtheSemproniaof—isitselfanindication
of the concentration of public and private activity here.The Forum was a
publicstagewhereanaudiencewaspermanentlytohand.
Wemaystillnotwanttocharacterizethisasdemocracy.NordidPolybius.
Onthecontrary,whenheneedstogiveaone-wordcharacterizationofthe
Romanpoliticalsystem(,,),hecallsit‘‘aristocratic’’:^80 ‘‘Publius(Scipio),
who sought honour in an aristocraticpoliteuma,won goodwill among the
massesandtrustamongtheSenate.’’Thisverypassagethusclearlyillustrates
whyhefounditnecessarytoemphasizealsothedemocraticandpopularele-
mentintheworkingofthestate.ItwastheRomanpeoplewhichgavepublic
honours,^81 andissuedcriminalcondemnations;theyvotedonlaws,oncolo-
nies,onadmissiontothecitizenship,onwarandpeace.Inthelightofrecent
workitistimetoabandontheonceestablishedpresuppositionsofaheredi-
tary‘‘nobility,’’ofaristocraticfactions,andofanall-embracingnetworkof
dependenceandclientship.Wemightthenbeabletoseethepubliclifeofthe
classicalRepublicinaratherdifferentlight:asanarenainwhichthosewho
soughtandheldofficecompetedbeforethecrowdbyadvertisementoftheir
gloriousdescentiftheycould;bytheexerciseofrhetoricindefenceofciti-
zens;byreportsanddemonstrationsofmilitaryvictory.Theyalsofoughtout
. ForthispointandagoodanalysisofPolybius’conceptionofthepoliticalcharacterof
theRomansystem,asexpressedbothinbookandelsewhere,seenowC.Nicolet,‘‘Polybe
etla‘constitution’deRome:aristocratieetdémocratie,’’inC.Nicolet,ed.,Demokratia et
Aristokratia.À propos de Caius Gracchus: mots grecs et réalités romaines(),.
. Note the public demonstration over the consular elections of ..: ‘‘and they
[thepeople]wereexclaimingthatbythelawshandeddownfromTulliusandRomulusthe
peoplewerethejudgesoftheelections’’(Appian,Pun.).