By 1323 the Florentine constitution had assumed a fairly definite shape. At its head stood the gonfalonier of justice and the six priors, who had the chief conduct of affairs and the right of initiating legislation. Then came the twelve _buonuomini_, who were a sort of privy council to the signory, and served as a check on its power. Next in rank were the _capitano del popolo_, once the chief magistrate of the city, and the sixteen gonfaloniers of companies, who were responsible for police and military arrangements. These were known as the three greater offices (_i tre maggiori_). In critical times special magistracies were sometimes created for a limited time, such as the eight of war (_otto di guerra_), or the ten of the sea (_dieci del mare_). There were two legislative councils: the _consiglio del popolo_, three hundred in number, containing only _popolani_; and the _consiglio del commune_, numbering two hundred and fifty, to which nobles were also admitted. Besides the regular municipal magistracies, there was an [Sidenote: The ‘Parte Guelfa.’] important body, the _parte guelfa_, which exercised very great political influence. This corporation, which had its own captains and council, had been formed after the great Guelf victory of 1267 to administer the confiscated property of the exiled Ghibellines. Its great wealth and efficient organisation were employed for the assiduous maintenance of Guelf ascendency, and in later times for resisting the claims of the lower classes to a voice in the government.