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

Triumvirate and Principate 

makingappointmentstomagistraciesseveralyearsaheadandtotheconsul-
ateforeightyears,subsequentlymakingadditionsandsubtractionstothelist.
Diocarefullyemphasisesthatitwasatthispointthatthearbitraryappoint-
mentofsuffectconsulsbecameregular,andunderlinesthecontinuitywith
establishedimperialpractice.^13 Similarly,whenagreementwastemporarily
reachedwithSextusPompeiusinthesameyear,itstermsincludedpraetor-
ships,tribunates,andpriesthoodsforhisfollowers,andaconsulateandthe
positionofharuspex(diviner)forhimself(hewasdeposedfrombothin).^14
Thefollowingyearsawtheculminationoftheperiodofdisturbanceofthe
republicanmagistracies.^15 Sixty-sevenpraetorswereappointedinthecourse
oftheyear,andaboywasmadequaestor.^16 UnderthenextyearDionotes
continualmultiplicationofoffice-holders,andgivesthereason,namelythat
theofficeswerevaluednotforthemselvesbutasthenecessarypreliminary
toprovincialcommands.^17
Inthefollowingyearssuchirregularitiesweregreatlyreduced,^18 though
suffectconsulatescontinued(Octavianabandoninghisconsulateinonthe
firstday).^19 Thesuffectconsulatein,forwhich,asPlutarchsays,Octavian
‘‘chose’’ Cicero’s son as his colleague,^20 ended the systematic use of suffect
consulatesforseveraldecades.Theabandonmentofthispracticewassurely
intendedasasignofapproachingnormality.
TheextensivepowersofappointmentexercisedbytheTriumvirsnatu-
rallyledtothedistributionofappointmentsasfavours,andtorequestsfor
them from interested parties. So Plutarch mentions that Octavia after her
rejectionbyAntoniuscontinuedtoassistmensentbyhim‘‘inquestofoffice
oronotherbusiness’’toobtaintheirrequestsfromOctavian(Ant.);while
Aelian has the incident of a runaway slavewhowas given the praetorship
byAntonius,andwasrecognizedbyhisformermasterwhile‘‘hewassitting
ontribunalanddispensingjusticeintheRomanForum.’’^21 Ifwecantrust

. Dio , , –.Under ..Dio duly notes that the arrangement of eight years
beforehadbeenthatOctavianandAntoniusshouldbeconsuls,,,.
. Dio,,;,.
. IamindebtedtoProfessorBadianforemphasisingtometheimportanceof indi-
catingtheextenttowhichTriumviralirregularitiesincreasedordecreasedinthecourse
oftime.
. Dio,,.
. Dio,,–.
. Onemaynoteacoupleofsuffectpraetorsin,Dio,,.
. Appian,Illyrica/;Dio,,.
. Plut.,Cic..
. Aelian,Apospasmata.Cf.Dig.,,.