The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08
the Roman dominion increased. You do well to be dissatisfied now with a
plebeian consul, when your ancestors disdained not foreigners as kings,
and when, even after the expulsion of kings, the city was not shut
against foreign merit. After the expulsion of the kings, we certainly
admitted the Claudian family from the Sabine country not only into
citizenship, but even into the number of the patricians. Can a man from
a foreigner be made a patrician, then a consul? shall a Roman citizen,
if he belong to the commons, be precluded from all hope of the
consulate? Do we then deem it impossible that a man of the commons can
be a person of fortitude and activity, qualified to excel both in peace
and war, tyke to Numa, Lucius Tarquinius, and Servius Tullius? Or,
should such appear, shall we not suffer him to meddle with the helm of
government? or shall we have consuls like the decemvirs, the most
abandoned of mortals, who were, however, all patricians, rather than
like the best of kings, though new men?
4. "But (I may be told) no commoner has been consul since the expulsion
of the kings. What then? ought no innovation to be introduced? and what
has not yet been practised, (and in a new state there are many things
not yet practised,) ought not even such measures, even though they be
useful, be adopted? During the reign of Romulus there were no pontiffs,
nor augurs: they were appointed by Numa Pompilius. There was no census
in the state, nor the distribution of centuries and classes; it was
introduced by Servius Tullius: there never had been consuls; they were
created after the expulsion of the kings. Of a dictator neither the
office nor the name had existed; it commenced its existence among the
senators. There were no tribunes of the people, ædiles, nor quæstors: it
was resolved that those officers should be appointed. Within the last
ten years we both created decemvirs for compiling laws, and we abolished
them. Who can doubt but that in a city doomed for eternal duration,
increasing to an immense magnitude, new civil offices, priesthoods,
rights of families and of individuals, may be established? This very
matter, that there should not be the right of intermarriage between
patricians and commons, did not the decemvirs introduce within the last
few years to the utmost injury of the commons, on a principle most
detrimental to the public? Can there be a greater or more marked insult,
than that one portion of the state, as if contaminated, should be deemed
unworthy of intermarriage? What else is it than to suffer exile within
the same walls, actual rustication? They wish to prevent our being mixed
with them by affinity or consanguinity; that our blood be not mingled
with theirs. What? if this cast a stain on that nobility of yours, which
most of you, the progeny of Albans or Sabines, possess, not in right of
birth or blood, but by co-optation into the patricians, having been
elected either by the kings, or after the expulsion of kings, by order
of the people, could ye not keep it pure by private regulations, by
neither marrying into the commons, and by not suffering your daughters
or sisters to marry out of the patricians. No one of the commons would
offer violence to a patrician maiden; such lust as that belongs to the
patricians. None of them would oblige any man against his will to enter
into a marriage contract. But really that such a thing should be
prevented by law, that the intermarriage of the patricians and plebeians
should be interdicted, that it is which is insulting to the commons. Why
do you not combine in enacting a law that there shall be no
intermarriage between rich and poor? That which has in all places and
always been the business of private regulations, that a woman might
marry into whatever family she has been engaged to, and that each man
might take a wife out of whatever family he had contracted with, that ye
shackle with the restraints of a most tyrannical law, by which ye sever
the bonds of civil society and split one state into two. Why do ye not
enact a law that a plebeian shall not dwell in the neighbourhood of a
patrician? that he shall not go the same road with him? that he shall
not enter the same banquet with him? that he shall not stand in the same
forum? For what else is there in the matter, if a patrician man wed a
plebeian woman, or a plebeian a patrician? What right, pray, is thereby
changed? the children surely go with the father. Nor is there any thing
which we seek from intermarriage with you, except that we may be held in
the number of human beings and fellow citizens; nor is there any reason
why ye contest the point, except that it delights you to strive for
insult and ignominy to us.
5. "In a word, whether is the supreme power belonging to the Roman
people, or is it yours? Whether by the expulsion of kings has dominion
been acquired for you or equal liberty for all? It is fitting that the
Roman people should be allowed to enact a law, if it please. Or will ye
decree a levy by way of punishment, according as each bill shall be
proposed? and as soon as I, as tribune, shall begin to call the tribes
to give their votes, will you, forthwith, as consul, force the younger
men to take the military oath, and lead them out to camp? and will you
threaten the commons? will you threaten the tribune? What, if you had
not already twice experienced how little those threats availed against
the united sense of the people? Of course it was because you wished to
consult for our interest, that you abstained from force. Or was there no
contest for this reason, that the party which was the stronger was also
the more moderate? Nor will there be any contest now, Romans: they will
try your spirit; your strength they will not make trial of. Wherefore,
consuls, the commons are prepared to accompany you to these wars,
whether real or fictitious, if, by restoring the right of intermarriage,
you at length make this one state; if they can coalesce, be united and
mixed with you by private ties; if the hope, if the access to honours
be granted to men of ability and energy; if it is lawful to be in a
partnership and share of the government; if, what is the result of equal
freedom, it be allowed in the distribution of the annual offices to obey
and to govern in their turns. If any one shall obstruct these measures,
talk about wars, multiply them by report; no one will give in his name,
no one will take up arms, no one will fight for haughty masters, with
whom there is no participation of honours in public, nor of
intermarriage in private."
6. When both the consuls came forward into the assembly, and the matter
had changed from a long series of harangues to altercation, the tribune,
on asking why it was not right that a plebeian should be made a consul,
an answer was returned truly perhaps, though by no means expediently for
the present contest, "that no plebeian could have the auspices, and for
this reason the decemvirs had prohibited the intermarriage, lest from
uncertainty of descent the auspices might be vitiated." The commons were
fired with indignation at this above all, because, as if hateful to the
immortal gods, they were denied to be qualified to take auspices. And
now (as the commons both had a most energetic supporter in the tribune,
and they themselves vied with him in perseverance) there was no end of
the contentions, until the patricians, being at length overpowered,
agreed that the law regarding intermarriage should be passed, judging
that by these means most probably the tribunes would either give up
altogether or postpone till after the war the question concerning the
plebeian consuls; and that in the mean time the commons, content with
the intermarriage-law (being passed,) would be ready to enlist. When
Canuleius was now in high repute by his victory over the patricians and
by the favour of the commons, the other tribunes being excited to
contend for their bill, set to work with all their might, and, the
accounts regarding the war augmenting daily, obstruct the levy. The
consuls, when nothing could be transacted through the senate in
consequence of the opposition of the tribunes, held meetings of the
leading men at their own houses. It was becoming evident that they must
concede the victory either to the enemies or to their countrymen.
Valerius and Horatius alone of the consulars did not attend the
meetings. The opinion of Caius Claudius was for arming the consuls
against the tribunes. The sentiments of the Quintii, both Cincinnatus
and Capitolinus, were averse to bloodshed, and to violating (persons)
whom by the treaty concluded with the commons they had admitted to be
sacred and inviolable. Through these meetings the matter was brought to
this, that they suffered tribunes of the soldiers with consular
authority to be elected from the patricians and commons without
distinction; that with respect to the election of consuls no change
should be made; and with this the tribunes were content, as were also
the commons. An assembly is now proclaimed for electing three tribunes
with consular power. This being proclaimed, forthwith whoever had
contributed to promote sedition by word or deed, more particularly men
who had been tribunes, began to solicit support and to bustle about the
forum as candidates; so that despair, in the first instance, of
obtaining the honour, by reason of the irritated state of the people's
mind, then indignation at having to hold the office with such persons,
deterred the patricians; at length however, being forced, they stood as
candidates, lest they might appear to have relinquished all share in the
government. The result of this election showed that the sentiments of
persons in the struggle for liberty and dignity are different from those
they feel when the contest is laid aside, the judgment being unbiassed;
for the people elected all patricians as tribunes, content with this,
that the plebeians had been taken into account. Where could you now find
in an individual such moderation, disinterestedness, and elevation of
mind, as was then displayed by the entire people?
7. In the three hundred and tenth year after the city of Rome was built,
for the first time military tribunes in the room of consuls enter into
office, Aulus Sempronius Atratinus, Lucius Atilius, Titus Clælius; in
whose office the concord prevailing at home afforded peace also abroad.
There are some who, without mentioning the proposal of the law
concerning the election of consuls from among the commons, say that
three military tribunes were elected on account of the Veientian war
being added to the war of the Æquans and the Volscians and to the revolt
of the Ardeates, because two consuls could not execute so many wars
together, these tribunes being invested also with the authority and
insignia of consuls. The jurisdiction of that office however did not
stand on a firm footing, because the third month after they entered on
the office, they resigned the honour, in pursuance of a decree of the
augurs, as if unduly elected; because Caius Curtius, who had presided at
the election, had not selected his tent with due regard to ceremony.
Ambassadors came to Rome from Ardea complaining of the injustice in such
a manner, that it appeared that, if it were redressed, they would
continue in amity and the observance of the treaty, on the restitution
of their land. The answer returned by the senate was: "that the judgment
of the people could not be rescinded by the senate, besides such a
measure could not be adopted on precedent or with justice;, as an
additional reason also for the purpose of preserving concord between the
several orders of the state. If the Ardeans were willing to abide a
seasonable conjuncture, and leave to the senate the mode of redressing