Dio's Rome, Volume 4: 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 4: 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
"Still another magistrate ought to be chosen, himself also from a similar
class, to investigate and watch the matters of family, property, and
morals of senators and knights, alike of men and of the children and
wives belonging to them[6]. He should also set right such behavior as
properly entails no punishment, yet if neglected becomes the cause of
many great evils. The more important details he must report to you. This
duty ought to be assigned to some senator, and to the most distinguished
one after the præfectus urbi, rather than to one of the knights. He would
naturally receive his name from your authority as censor, (for you must
certainly be the dictator of the census), so that he might be called
sub-censor[7].--Let these two hold office for life, unless either of them
deteriorates in any way or becomes sick or superannuated. By reason of
the permanence of their positions they would do nothing dangerous, for
one would be entirely unarmed and the other would have but a few soldiers
and be acting for the most part under your eyes. By reason of their rank
they would shrink from coming into collision with any one and would be
afraid to do any act of violence, for they would foresee their retirement
to ordinary citizenship and the supremacy of others in their stead. Let
them also draw a certain salary, to compensate them for the time consumed
and to increase their reputation. This is the opinion I have to give you
in regard to these officials.
"Let those who have been prætors hold some office among the subject
nations. Before they have been prætors I do not think they should have
this privilege. Let those who have not yet been prætors serve for one
or two terms as lieutenants to such persons as you may have designated.
Then, under these conditions, let them be consuls if they continue to
govern rightly, and after that let them take the greater positions of
command. [-22-] The following is the way I advise you to arrange it.
Divide up all of Italy which is over seven hundred and fifty stades from
the city and all the rest of the territory which owns our sway, both on
the continents and in the islands,--divide it up everywhere according to
races and nations; and pursue the same course with as many cities as are
important enough to be ruled by one man with full powers. Then establish
soldiers and a governor in each one and send out one of the ex-consuls to
take charge of all, and two of the ex-prætors. One of the latter, fresh
from the City, should have the care of private business and the supplying
of provisions: the other should be one of those who have had this
training, who will attend to the public interests of the cities and will
govern the soldiers, except in cases that concern disenfranchisement or
death. These must be referred only to the ex-consul who is governor,
except in regard to the centurions who are on the lists and to the
foremost private individuals in every place. Do not allow any other
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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