Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/136

 CHAPTER III.

CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES AND EXPEDIENTS DURING THE SECOND PUNIC WAR, 220-201 B.C.

I. The Opposition and the Military Measures.

Continuance of the Opposition. — In 225 the senate had made an estimate of the military resources and found that the Roman state and its allies could furnish almost eight hundred thousand men capable of bearing arms. Hence, when with a small army Hannibal had entered Italy, and even when he had gained several victories, the Romans were not sufficiently alarmed to sink their political differences and present a united front to the foe. Flaminius and other popular leaders seemed bent on offsetting their achievements as statesmen by their incompetence as generals, and unfortunately they still enjoyed the popular confidence.

The Flaminian Law on Coinage. — Flaminius was elected consul for 217. He secured the passage of a law debasing the silver and copper coinage — an old and yet ever new financial panacea. The silver denarius, introduced about the year 269, weighed originally one-sixth of a Roman ounce, but was now fixed at one-seventh (ca. 60 grains). Since 269, the as of copper had been reduced nominally from twelve Roman ounces (as libralis=5053 grains, or about five-sevenths of a pound avoirdupois), but in reality from ca. ten ounces, at first to four (hence named as trientalis), then to two (as sextantarius), and was now fixed at one ounce