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
He further proposed to mix with the silver coinage an eighth part of
copper,[2473] the proceeds of this gain to be applied perhaps to the
execution of his frumentarian project.[2474] There is much controversy
as to the intent of his judiciary reform. Appian[2475] supposes that
he wished to add three hundred knights to the senate and to draw the
jurors from that body thus enlarged. Velleius[2476] is of the opinion
that his aim was to transfer the iudicia to the senate; whereas the
epitomator of Livy[2477] directly states that he provided for making up
the iudicia of senators and knights in equal numbers. We may partially
reconcile these conflicting statements by supposing that he planned to
compose the jurors’ album of six hundred senators and knights in equal
numbers, by which expedient he hoped to bring these two hostile orders
back to their former harmony,[2478] while serving the interests of the
senate and ridding the state of the corrupt and tyrannical rule of the
knights.[2479] By a special article of the rogation a quaestio, probably
perpetua, was to be appointed to inquire into the cases of bribery
of jurors and to punish the guilty.[2480] His most radical measure,
introduced after opposition to his other reforms began to develop,[2481]
was for extending the citizenship to the Latins[2482] and to all the
Italians.[2483] This group of proposals, designed for the benefit of
all parties, proved distasteful to all. The senators found a ground
for complaint in the circumstance that the knights would have equal
power with them in the courts; the knights were unwilling to surrender
their judicial control or to grant the franchise to the Italians; the
wealthy Italians feared they might lose the public lands which they
still held. Only the poor among the Romans and allies supported the
proposal in the hope of profiting by the distribution of lands.[2484] The
agrarian, frumentarian, monetary, and judiciary measures were combined
in one statute, and passed with violence[2485] and contrary to the
omens.[2486] On these grounds and furthermore because they violated the
article of the Caecilian-Didian statute forbidding the passing of a lex
satura, they were annulled by the senate.[2487] Although Drusus might
have interposed his veto against this decree, he preferred rather to
disregard it, most probably on the theory that the senatorial authority
did not avail against the sovereign will of the people.[2488] Aware that
his intercession would but postpone the annulment to another year, he
contented himself with informing his opponents that his measures were
absolutely necessary for the security of the state, and that those who
offended against them did it at their peril. He proceeded to carry
his statute into immediate effect.[2489] A plebiscite of Saufeius, a
colleague, established a commission of five in addition to the ten
provided for by the Livian statute; and Livius was elected a member of
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