*Caesar’s reforms.* Upon returning to Rome after the battle of Thapsus
Caesar began a series of reforms which affected practically every side of
Roman life. One of the most useful was the reform of the Roman calendar.
Hitherto the Romans had employed a lunar year of three hundred and
fifty-five days (the calendar year beginning on March first and the civil
year, since 153 B. C., on January first) which was approximately corrected
to the solar year by the addition of an intercalary month of twenty-two
days in the second, and one of twenty-three days in the fourth year, of
cycles of four years. For personal or political motives the pontiffs had
trifled with the intercalation of these months until in 46 B. C. the Roman
year was completely out of touch with the solar year. With the assistance
of the Greek astronomer Sosigenes, Caesar introduced the Egyptian solar
year of approximately 365¼ days, in such a way that three years of 365
days were followed by one of 366 days in which an extra day was added to
February after the twenty-fourth of the month. The new Julian calendar
went into effect on 1 January, 45 B. C. Another abuse was partially
rectified by the reduction of the number who were entitled to receive
cheap grain in Rome from about 320,000 to 150,000. The Roman plebeian
colleges and guilds, which had become political clubs and had contributed
to the recent disorders in the city, were dissolved with the exception of
the ancient association of craftsmen. The _tribuni aerarii_ were removed
from the jury courts and the penalties for criminal offences increased.
Plans were laid for a codification of the Roman law but this was not
carried into effect. Municipal administration in Rome and the Italian
towns was regulated by the Julian Municipal Law, which brought uniformity
into the municipal organization of Italy. The Roman magistracies were
increased in number; the quaestorships from twenty to forty, and the eight
praetorships finally to sixteen. At the same time the priesthoods were
likewise enlarged. Administrative needs and the wish to reward a greater
number of followers probably influenced these changes. A number of new
patrician families were created to take the places of those which had died
out. The membership of the Senate was increased to 900, and many new men,
including ex-soldiers of Caesar and enfranchised Gauls, were enrolled in
it. Caesar provided for his veterans by settling them in Italian
municipalities and in colonies in the provinces. The deserted sites of
Carthage and Corinth were repeopled with Roman colonists and once more
became flourishing cities. In this way Caesar promoted the romanization of
the provinces, a policy which he had begun with his conferment of the
franchise upon the Transpadane Gauls in 49, and continued in the case of
many Spanish communities. This romanization of the provinces and the
admission of provincials to the Senate points to an imperial policy which