Dio's Rome, Volume 1: An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek during the Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English FormCassius Dio Cocceianus
History
Dio's Rome, Volume 1: An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek during the Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English Form
Cassius Dio Cocceianus
Rome -- History
Meanwhile Claudius in terror had hidden himself and Oppius convened
the senate; and sending to the populace he enquired what they wanted.
They demanded that Lucius Valerius and Marcus Horatius, two of the
senators who favored their cause, be sent to them, saying that through
these men they would make their reply. Owing to the fear of the ten
magistrates (for they were now all on the scene) that the people would
employ the two as leaders against them they were not sent, whereupon
the populace grew still more angry. As a consequence the senators were
inspired with no slight fear and against the will of the magistrates
they sent Valerius and Horatius to the people. By this means a
reconciliation was effected: the rioters were granted immunity for
their acts, and the decemvirate was abolished; the annual
magistracies, including that of tribunes, were restored with the same
privileges as they had formerly enjoyed. Virginius was one of the
magistrates appointed; and they cast into prison Oppius and Claudius
(who committed suicide before their cases were investigated), and
indicted, convicted, and banished the remainder of the board.
[Sidenote: B.C. 449 (_a.u._ 305)] VII, 19.--Now the consuls--it is
said that this is the first time they were known as consuls, being
previously called praetors; and they were Valerius and Horatius--both
then and thereafter showed favor to the populace and strengthened
their cause rather than that of the patricians. The patricians, though
subdued, would not readily convene and did not put matters entirely in
the power of the lower class, but granted the tribunes the right of
practicing augury in their assemblies: nominally this was an honor and
dignity for them, since from very ancient times this privilege had
been accorded the patricians alone, but really it was a hindrance. The
nobles intended that the tribunes and the populace should not
accomplish easily everything they pleased, but should sometimes be
prevented under this plea of augury. The patricians as well as the
senate were displeased at the consuls, whom they regarded as favorable
to the popular cause, and so did not vote a triumph to them--though
each had won a war--and did not assign to each a day as had been the
custom. The populace, however, both held a festival for two days and
voted triumphal honors to the consuls.
_(BOOK 6, BOISSEVAIN.)_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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