Page:A history and description of Roman political institutions (IA historyanddescri00abbo).pdf/18

6 other Italian communites. The term tribus can of course be urged in support of the latter view. The exact truth in the matter will probably never be known. It may be regarded as highly probable, however, that the original Latin community was reinforced by a colony of Sabine invaders, which in course of time was completely fused with the Palatine settlements into a harmonious political organization.

8. Early Form of Government. We have already seen reason to believe that the affairs of the clan were managed by the members of the elders, who represented it. With the founding of the city a new and predominant element was introduced into the political organization. The clans which were fused into a single community agreed in accepting a single political head, called a rex, who was to hold his position for life, while the elders or patres of the various gentes forced the king's council. To this body the control of the state fell on the death of the king.

9. Treatment of Conquered Peoples. The history of Rome under the kings falls naturally into two epochs. The second of these two periods covers the reigns of the last three kings, and is characterized by the extension of Rome's territory, but the development of the plebs and their partial incorporation in the body politic, by the appearance on the throne of kings of foreign birth, and by the fact that the monarchy became hereditary. The ambitious policy of conquest which the Tarquins adopted was attended with success, but it brought the Romans face to face with difficult political questions of great importance. What disposition should be made of conquered territory? What standing should conquered peoples have in the state? The first problem was solved in most cases by the permanent occupation of a part of the newly acquired territory