Page:Outlines of European History.djvu/305

 The Western World and Rome 253 consul {^^(id B.C.) and to representation in the Senate. But here the fine political insight of the Roman demonstrates his superiority to the Greek in such matters. The patricians, or aristocrats, continued to hold the leader- The leader- ship, and they contrived so to control the power of the popular th?Senate°^ assembly as not to expose public affairs to the passing humors of a changeable city multitude like that of Athens. This stable leadership of a group of seasoned councilors in the Roman Senate was the chief reason for the success of Roman govern- ment, and saved the Romans from the fate of Athens after the death of Pericles (p. 197). Rome was thus an ''aristocratic republic" — more so than Athens. At the same time the people were not without protection Tribunes from injustice at the hands of the aristocrats. They gained the right to elect tribunes as their magistrates, who enjoyed great power to shield any citizen from oppression by the State. One of the tribunes named Licinius secured the passage of a law Lidnian laws intended to relieve the peasantry from financial oppression by large landholders, and limiting the amount of land which could be held by a rich man.-^ In times of great danger to the State, it was possible to appoint a " Dictator" with absolute power to " Dictator" rule as the crisis might require. The presence of the Greek cities in the south had exerted a great influence in leading the Romans to a city form of state, but the native genius of the Roman for government saved him from the political mistakes of the Greeks. Similarly the exaction of military service from every landholding peasant and the census^ arrangements sug- gest Greek customs. These developments in government were a slow process occupying centuries. Meantime the Roman republic was continually expanding and to this steady growth we must now turn our attention. iSuch abuses had become a great evil, as in Greece (p. 153). The date of the Licinian law is uncertain, though commonly placed in 367 B.C. See, how- ever, p. 263, for the later conditions calling for such laws. 2 These were controlled by " censors," a word which has descended to u§ from the Romans like so many other of our ternis of goverriment,