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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §7.59.1-7.59.4

First Assembly by Tribes and the Century System

Passage 561 of 962 · Greek

Summary

The conflict between the plebeians and the patricians intensifies over the trial of Marcius. The tribunes convoke an assembly voting by tribes for the first time in Roman history, and the system is contrasted with the traditional assembly by centuries.

§7.59.1ὡς δὲ διεβοήθη ταῦτα, πολλὴ σπουδὴ καὶ παράταξις ἐγίνετο τῶν τε δημοτικῶν καὶ τῶν πατρικίων· τῶν μὲν ὡς τιμωρησομένων τὸν αὐθαδέστατον, τῶν δʼ ἵνα μὴ γένοιτο ὑποχείριος τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ὡς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀριστοκρατίας ἀγωνιζόμενος.
When these things were spread abroad, there arose great eagerness and marshalling of forces on the part of both the plebeians and the patricians; the former being resolved to punish the most self-willed man, and the latter taking measures that he might not fall into the hands of his enemies, as one who was fighting on behalf of the aristocracy.
ἐδόκει δὲ πᾶσα κινδυνεύεσθαι ἡ τοῦ βίου καὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας δικαίωσις ἐν τῷ τότε ἀγῶνι ἀμφοτέροις.
And it seemed to both sides that their entire claim to life and liberty was at stake in the struggle of that time.
ἐπιστάσης δὲ τῆς τρίτης ἀγορᾶς ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν ὄχλος, ὅσος οὔπω πρότερον, συνεληλυθὼς εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἕωθεν εὐθὺς κατεῖχε τὴν ἀγοράν· οἱ δὲ δήμαρχοι συνεκάλουν τὸ πλῆθος ἐπὶ τὴν φυλέτιν ἐκκλησίαν, χωρία τῆς ἀγορᾶς περισχοινίσαντες, ἐν οἷς ἔμελλον αἱ φυλαὶ στήσεσθαι καθʼ αὑτάς.
When the third market day arrived, the crowd from the countryside, in such numbers as never before, having assembled in the city, occupied the forum immediately from early morning; and the tribunes called the people together to the assembly by tribes, having cordoned off areas of the forum with ropes, in which the tribes were to stand by themselves.
§7.59.2καὶ τότε πρῶτον ἐγένετο Ῥωμαίοις ἐκκλησία κατʼ ἀνδρὸς ψηφοφόρος πολλὰ ἐναντιουμένων τῶν πατρικίων, ἵνα μὴ τοῦτο γένηται, καὶ τὴν λοχῖτιν ἀξιούντων συνάγειν ἐκκλησίαν, ὥσπερ αὐτοῖς πάτριον ἦν.
And then for the first time did there occur for the Romans an assembly voting by individuals, though the patricians strongly opposed it, in order that this might not happen, and demanded that they should convoke the assembly by centuries, just as was ancestral for them.
ἐν γὰρ τοῖς πρότερον χρόνοις, ὅτε μέλλοι ψῆφον ἐπιφέρειν ὁ δῆμος ὑπὲρ ὁτουδήτινος ὧν ἐπιτρέψειεν ἡ βουλή, ἐκάλουν μὲν οἱ ὕπατοι τὴν λοχῖτιν ἐκκλησίαν, ἱερὰ πρότερον ἐπιτελέσαντες, ἃ νόμος αὐτοῖς ἐστι, καὶ μέχρι τοῦ καθʼ ἡμᾶς χρόνου τινὰ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἔτι γίνεται.
For in former times, whenever the people were about to cast their vote concerning whatever matter the senate might refer to them, the consuls called the assembly by centuries, after first performing the sacred rites which are customary for them, some of which are still performed even down to our own time.
§7.59.3συνῄει δὲ τὸ πλῆθος εἰς τὸ πρὸ τῆς πόλεως Ἄρειον πεδίον ὑπό τε λοχαγοῖς καὶ σημείοις τεταγμένον ὥσπερ ἐν πολέμῳ, ἐπέφερον δὲ τὴν ψῆφον οὐχ ἅπαντες ἀναλαβόντες, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἰδίους ἕκαστοι λόχους, ὁπότε κληθεῖεν ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων.
And the multitude came together to the Field of Mars before the city, drawn up under centurions and standards just as in war, and they did not all cast their vote by taking it up at once, but each according to their own centuries, whenever they were called by the consuls.
ὄντων δὲ τῶν συμπάντων τριῶν καὶ ἐνενήκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν λόχων καὶ τούτων εἰς ἓξ διῃρημένων συμμορίας πρώτη μὲν ἐκαλεῖτο συμμορία καὶ τὴν ψῆφον ἐπέφερεν ἡ τῶν ἐχόντων τὸ μέγιστον τίμημα τῆς οὐσίας καὶ τὴν πρώτην λαμβανόντων τάξιν ἐν πολέμοις· ἐν οἷς ἦσαν ἱππέων μὲν ὀκτωκαίδεκα λόχοι, πεζῶν δʼ ὀγδοήκοντα.
And since there were in all one hundred and ninety-three centuries, and these were divided into six classes, the first class called and casting its vote was that of those who possessed the greatest valuation of property and who took the first post in wars; among whom were eighteen centuries of cavalry and eighty of infantry.
§7.59.4δευτέρα δʼ ἐψηφοφόρει συμμορία τῶν ὑποδεεστέρων τοῖς βίοις καὶ τὴν ὑποβεβηκυῖαν τάξιν ἐν ταῖς μάχαις καὶ ὁπλισμὸν οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐχόντων τοῖς πρωτοστάταις, ἀλλʼ ἐλάττονα· τοῦτο δὲ τὸ πλῆθος εἰς εἴκοσι λόχους συντεταγμένον ἦν, προσέκειντο δʼ αὐτοῖς δύο ἶλαι τεκτόνων καὶ χαλκοτύπων καὶ ὅσοι ἄλλοι πολεμικῶν ἔργων ἦσαν χειροτέχναι.
And the second class to vote was of those who were inferior in their means and held the lower post in battles, having armor not the same as the front-rank men, but inferior; and this multitude was organized into twenty centuries, and to them were added two centuries of carpenters and blacksmiths and such others as were artisans of warlike works.
οἱ δʼ ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ συμμορίᾳ καλούμενοι λόχους μὲν ἐξεπλήρουν εἴκοσι, τίμημα δʼ εἶχον ἔλαττον τῶν δευτέρων καὶ τάξιν τὴν ἐπʼ ἐκείνοις καὶ ὅπλα οὐκ ἴσα τοῖς πρὸ
And those called in the third class filled twenty centuries, having a valuation smaller than the second and a post behind them and armor not equal to those before them.

Notes

  1. 1448τῶν μὲν ὡς τιμωρησομένων ... τῶν δʼ ἵνα μὴ γένοιτο — The genitive absolute with a future participle ('τῶν μὲν ὡς τιμωρησομένων') is contrasted with a genitive ('τῶν δʼ') directly followed by a purpose clause ('ἵνα μὴ γένοιτο'). This asymmetrical coordination vividly expresses the different motives of both factions behind the eagerness and confrontation mentioned earlier.
  2. 1449πολλὰ ἐναντιουμένων τῶν πατρικίων — This genitive absolute construction ('ἐναντιουμένων τῶν πατρικίων... καὶ... ἀξιούντων') functions concessively ('although the patricians strongly opposed...'), highlighting the political tension of establishing a new tribal assembly despite fierce senatorial resistance.
  3. 1449ἐκκλησία κατʼ ἀνδρὸς ψηφοφόρος — The phrase 'ἐκκλησία κατʼ ἀνδρὸς ψηφοφόρος' (an assembly voting by individuals). 'κατʼ ἀνδρός' can be interpreted either as 'concerning a specific individual (Marcius) on trial' or as a new voting method 'man by man (by head)' within the tribes, contrasted with the block-voting of centuries.

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §7.59.1-7.59.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.59.1-7.59.4

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