A SUMMARY OF ROMAN ANTIQUITIES. THE FOUNDATION OF THE CITY. ROME was founded by Romulus and a colony from Alba Longa*, 753 years, as it is commonly thought, before the birth of Christ. They began to build on the 21st day of April, which was called Palilia, from Pales, the goddess of shepherds, to whom it was consecrated, and was ever after held as a festival; (dies natalis urbis Roma). Vell. Paterc. i. 8. Ovid. Fast. iv. 806. [vi. 257.] DIVISION OF THE PEOPLE. ROMULUS divided the people of Rome into three TRIBES: and each tribe into ten CURIÆ [or wards]. The number of tribes was after "Love for the home that fate had assigned to them, led the youths (Romulus and Remus) to the banks of the Tiber to found a city there. The shepherds, their old comrades, were the first citizens; of their being joined by Albans, nay even by Trojan nobles, the ancient tradition certainly knew nothing; the Julii and similar houses appear not till after the destruction of Alba.” - Niebuhr, Hist. of Rome, i. p. 187. "From the wish of Romulus to form treaties of marriage with the neighbouring tribes, it is clear that the earliest tradition did not consider Rome as a colony of Alba, and as a Latin city; much less say any thing about an emigration of noble houses. As a colony, Rome would have had the right of intermarriage with all Latin cities from the first."-P. 191. note. "He that looks for historical truth, and consequently for connection, in the story of the first century of Rome, must find it wholly incomprehensible that Alba disappears altogether the moment the city is founded. The tradition neither contains any report of aid sent by the mother city during the danger that threatened Rome; nor any explanation how Romulus, if the race of Æneas became extinct with Numitor, was kept excluded from their throne. Here both what is said, and what is not said, tends to establish the nature of those accounts, which we are told are historical. Alba and Roma were entirely strangers to each other: in the legend of the fall of the former city, it is not the Silvii who reign there, but C. Cluilius as dictator, prætor, or king."— P. 297. B 2 CURIO LEGIO -MILES - TRIBUNUS PATRICIANS, ETC. wards increased by degrees to thirty-five. They were divided into country and city tribes (rustica et urbana). The number of the curiæ always remained the same. Each curia anciently had a chapel or temple for the performance of sacred rites, Varro de Lat. Ling. iv. 32. Tacit. Ann. xii. 24. Dionys. ii. 23. He who presided over one curia was called CURIO (quia sacra curabat, Festus); he who presided over them all, CURIO MAXIMUS, [ Ovid. F. ii. 527.] From each tribe Romulus chose 1000 foot-soldiers, and 100 horse. These 3000 foot and 300 horse, were called LEGIO, a legion, because the most warlike were chosen, Plutarch. in Romulo. Hence one of the thousand which each tribe furnished was called MILES, Varro de Lat. Ling. iv. 16. (unus ex mille) Isidor. ix. 3. The commander of a tribe was called TRIBUNUS (íλapxos vel Tpitúαpxos), Dionys. ii. 7. Veget. ii. 7. The whole territory of Rome, then very small, was also divided into three parts, but not equal. One part was allotted for the service of religion, and for building temples; another, for the king's revenue, and the uses of the state; the third and most considerable part was divided into thirty portions, to answer to the thirty curiæ, Dionys. ii. 7. The people were divided into two ranks (ordines), PATRICIANS and PLEBEIANS*; connected together as PATRONS and CLIENTS, Dionys. ii. 9. In aftertimes a third order was added, namely, the EQUITES, THE SENATE. 1. THE INSTITUTION AND NUMBER OF THE SENATE. THE Senate was instituted by Romulus, to be the perpetual council of the Republic, (Consilium reipublicæ sempiternum, Cic. pro Sextio, 65.) It consisted at first only of 100. They were chosen from among the Patricians; according to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ii. 12. three were nominated by each tribe, and three by each curia. To these ninety-nine Romulus himself added one, to preside in the senate, and have the care of the city in his absence. The senators were called PATREST, either upon account of their age, or their paternal care of * "Removes were made from one body to the other, for the sake of honour: thus, Tac. Ann. xi. 25. Iisdem diebus in numerum patriciorum adscivit (Claudius) Cæsar vetustissimum quemque e senatu, aut quibus clari parentes fuerant. So of Agricola, § 9. Revertentem ab legatione legionis divus Vespasianus inter patricios adscivit."-T. "The name is by no means confined to the senators; on the contrary, whenever the younger patres are mentioned, they must be considered as opposed to the senate. It is to be understood no less of the whole body of patricians individually, or of the general assembly of the curies. The contrast between the senior and junior patres often occurs in Livy, from the beginning of the plebeian disturbances until after the decemviral government; the former being represented as inclined to reconciliation, the latter as more obstinate and violent. In the senate, there were only the seniors, men who had passed the age of military service: all the juniors had places in the curies. The following instance is the most decisive: L. Furius and C. Manlius, when accused, circumeunt sordidati non plebem magis quam juniores patrum, (ii. 54.) How can this mean only a part of the senate? Who can conceive that the PATRES MAJORUM ET MINORUM GENTIUM — PATRES CONSCRIPTI. 3 the state; certainly out of respect; Liv. i. 8. [Sall. Cat. vi.] ; and their offspring, PATRICII, (qui patrem ciere possent, i. e. ingenui, Liv. x. 8. Dionys. ii. 8. Festus.) After the Sabines were assumed into the city, another hundred was chosen from them, by the suffrages of the curiæ, Dionys. ii. 47. But, according to Livy, i. 17. 30., there were only 100 senators at the death of Romulus, and their number was increased by Tullus Hostilius, after the destruction of Alba. Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth king of Rome, added 100 more, who were called PATRES MINORUM GENTIUM.+ Those created by Romulus, were called PATRES MAJORUM GENTIUM, Tacit. Annal. xi. 25. and their posterity, Patricii Majorum Gentium. This number of 300 continued, with small variation, to the times of Sylla, who increased it; but how many he added is uncertain. It appears there were at least above 400, Cic. ad Attic. i. 14. In the time of Julius Cæsar, the number of senators was increased to 900, Dio. xliii. 47. and after his death to 1000; many worthless persons having been admitted into the senate during the civil wars, Id. lii. 42. one of whom is called by Cicero self-chosen (lectus ipse a se,) Phil. xiii. 13. But Augustus reduced the number to 600, Suet. Aug. 35. Dio. liv. 14. Such as were chosen into the senate by Brutus, after the expulsion of Tarquin the Proud, to supply the place of those whom that king had slain, were called CONSCRIPTI, i. e. persons written or enrolled together with the old senators, who alone were properly styled Patres. Hence the custom of summoning to the senate those who were Patres, and who were Conscripti; (ita appellabant in novum senatum lectos, Liv. ii. 1.) Hence, also, the name Patres Conscripti (sc. et) was afterwards usually applied to all the senators. 2. THE CHOOSING OF SENATORS. PERSONS were chosen into the senate, (Senatus legebatur, Liv. xl. 51. vel in senatum legebantur, Cic. Cluent. 47.) first by the kings §, Liv. i. accused neglected those very senators whose years would give them the greatest influence? Compare also ii. 28. iii. 14, 15. 65.". Nieb. i. p. 281. The distinction of Patricians and Plebeians having been stated to exist previously to the election of senators, who were chosen from the former body, there is an evident contradiction in thus deducing the title of Patricü from that of Patres, as applied to the senators. See the note of Niebuhr above. + Liv. i. 35. "Tacitus Ann. xi. 25. refers this to Lucius Brutus." T. "The Roman senate of 300, stands in the same relation to the days of the cyclical year (304) as the number of the Athenian houses (360) to those of the cyclical year (365). At Sparta, the 28 yépovτes, together with the kings, corresponded to the number of days in the month. From a like reference, I explain the singular number of the council of 104 at Carthage; i. e. twice the number of the weeks in the year."- Nieb. i. p. 291. § "Livy seems to ascribe the choice of all the senators to the king in the passage referred to (i. 8.); nevertheless it is not clear," says Mr. Hooke (Rom. Hist. i. p. 36.), "that the 100 senators were created by the single authority of the king, and in virtue of his royal prerogative." In whom resided the power of creating senators? is a question which neither Livy nor any of the Latin writers "treat professedly, but touch only incidentally; and it is natural to all, upon the slight 4 SENATORS BY WHOM CHOSEN FROM WHOM. 8. 30. 35. and after their expulsion, by the CONSULS, Liv. ii. 1. and by the military tribunes, Festus in Præteriti Senatores; but from the year of the city 310, by the censors: at first only from the Patricians, but afterwards also from the Plebeians, Liv. ii. 32. v. 12.* chiefly, however, from the Equites; whence that order was called Seminarium Senatûs, Liv. xlii. 61. Some think that the senate was supplied from the annual magistrates [Cic. pro Rab. 7. pro Cluent. 56.], chosen by the people, all of whom had, of course, admittance into the senate, but that their senatorial character was not esteemed complete, till they were enrolled by the censors at the next Lustrum; at which time, also, the most eminent private citizens were added to complete the number. Middleton on the Roman Senate.+ See and occasional mention of an event, to ascribe it to the principal agent concerned in its production." “Thus, when Livy tells us that the præfect of the city created the first consuls (i. 60.), and that Brutus, one of these consuls, created P. Valerius his colleague in that office (ii. 2.), or that the Interrex on other occasions, created the consuls (ix. 7.); or, that the Pontifex Maximus was ordered by the senate to create the first tribunes (iii. 54.), he means nothing more than that those magistrates called the people together, in order to make such creations, in which they assisted and presided." "Ibi extemplo, Pontifice Maximo comitia habente, Tribunos plebis creaverunt.” (Ibid.) — Middleton on the Roman Senate, p. 18. In the latter passage, the first mention is made by Livy of a plebeian senator, P. Licinius Calvus, A. U. C. 355. Niebuhr (ii. p. 429.) conjectures that he may have earned his rank through the quæstorship, which office was open to the plebeians at that period. + Middleton, in his Life of Cic. vol. i. p. 74., has the following passage: "Though, strictly speaking, none were held to be complete senators till they were enrolled at the next lustrum, in the list of the censors, yet that was only matter of form, and what could not be denied to them, unless for the charge and notoriety of some crime, for which every other senator was equally liable to be degraded. The quæstors, therefore, chosen annually by the people, were the regular and ordinary supply of the vacancies of the senate, which consisted at this time of about 500; by which excellent institution, the way to the highest order in the state was laid open to the virtue and industry of every private citizen; and the dignity of this sovereign council maintained by a succession of members, whose distinguished merit had first recommended them to the notice and favour of their countrymen." In support of this, he quotes from Cicero, pro Sext. 65. Majores nostri, cum regum potestatem non tulissent, ita magistratus annuos creaverunt, ut consilium senatus reipublicæ proponerent sempiternum; deligerentur autem in id consilium ab universo populo, aditusque in illum summum ordinem omnium civium industriæ ac virtuti pateret. Upon the statement of Middleton, with reference to quæstors, Hooke (Rom. Hist. b. vi. c. viii. note) makes the following judicious comment: -" That from Sylla's dictatorship to the time of Cicero's quæstorship (a short period of six or seven years), the quæstors were the regular and ordinary supply of the vacancies of the senate (though, perhaps, it cannot be proved), may well enough be imagined; because the quæstors chosen annually, were then twenty in number. But the passage from Cicero refers to the times before Sylla, and even to the earliest times of the republic. Now, the number of quæstors annually chosen was, to the year of Rome 333, only two; from that time to 488, but four; and thence to Sylla's dictatorship, in 672, did not exceed eight; which last and largest number, if sufficient to supply the vacancies of a senate consisting of 300 members (many of whom serving in the wars, some must be supposed to perish in battle), yet, certainly, could not be sufficient to furnish annually ten new tribunes and four new ædiles. Of these fourteen magistrates, who are all supposed by the learned historian to have places in the senate, six must, every year, taking one year with another, obtain their magistracies, and rise to the senate, without passing through the office of quæstor." |