The Roman assemblies from their origin to the end of the RepublicBotsford, George Willis
History
The Roman assemblies from their origin to the end of the Republic
Botsford, George Willis
Constitutional law -- Rome; Rome -- Politics and government
In his second tribunate, 100, supported by Marius, consul a sixth time,
and by Servilius, Appuleius proposed and carried a law for the founding
of settlements of the Marian veterans in Sicily, Corsica, Achaia, and
Macedonia.[2445] Marius was to be a commissioner for conducting these
colonies, and was to have the right to enroll as citizens in each
settlement a specified number of aliens.[2446] The object of the latter
clause was doubtless to provide for the Italian veterans in his army.
He proposed further that certain Transpadane lands which the Cimbri had
taken from the Gauls and which Marius had recovered should be distributed
among the citizens and the Italians.[2447] Another proposal was for the
monthly sale of a specified number of modii of grain to every citizen
resident of Rome who desired it at five-sixths of an as to the modius—a
merely nominal price.[2448] It is not known whether the colonial,
agrarian, and frumentarian measures were separate enactments or articles
of one statute; or the colonial and agrarian provisions may alone have
been combined. However that may be, we are informed by Appian[2449]
that attached to the agrarian measure—whether to the others also is
nowhere stated—was an article which provided that if the bill should
become a law, the senators within five days should swear to uphold it,
or if any senator refused to take the oath, he should be expelled from
the senate and should be liable to a fine of twenty talents, the Greek
equivalent of about five hundred thousand sesterces.[2450] The rural
plebs, including many discharged soldiers of Marius, swarmed into the
comitia at the call of the tribune and violently passed the law. Marius,
who as a consul and a knight disapproved of such illegality, set for
the senators the example of swearing to the law, “in so far as it was a
law,” which left them a loophole of escape from its provisions should
they afterward so determine. Metellus, who alone of the senators refused
the oath, was forced into exile and an interdict from fire and water
was passed against him by the tribes on the motion of Saturninus.[2451]
Soon afterward an election riot gave the senate a pretext for martial
law. Placed under custody, Saturninus and some fellow officials were
stoned to death by a mob. His measures were then annulled by the senate
on the ground that they had been violently passed;[2452] nevertheless
Mariana was founded by Marius in Corsica, apparently under the colonial
provision.[2453] The import of the agrarian law of Sex. Titius, tribune
of the plebs in 99, is unknown.[2454] It may have been merely a
reënactment of the Appuleian measure. At all events before it could be
put into force it was annulled by the senate on the ground that it had
been passed by violence and against the intercession of colleagues.[2455]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account