Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/156

142 III. The Magistracy and the Administration.

Consuls and Praetors. — What the senate as the chief organ of the oligarchy had gained, the magistrates in general had lost The consuls and praetors suffered more and more both in personal independence and in prestige at home, partly because of the common degeneracy and the restrictive laws already mentioned, and in part because they were instructed and controlled in a more detailed way by the senate. It was, however, not so much the official powers that had changed, as the men and the times. Where canvassing for office and cliques flourish as they now did in Rome, the magistrates are rather cautious in maintaining the authority and independence of their office by a courageous, stern, and impartial discharge of their duties. Men like Cato and Paulus were few. Some consuls did display independence, but it was in satisfying their vanity or their greed. The consuls suffered in prestige, also, through conflicts with plebeian tribunes, who on two occasions imprisoned them.

On the other hand, as executives and as representatives of the senate, the consuls and praetors enjoyed in some respects greater dignity and authority than before. From the senate, the consuls might in emergencies receive quasi-dictatorial powers, and they could deal more freely than ever with the Latins and other Italian allies. Moreover, they, and the praetors as well, during their official term, or later, governed Roman provinces with an almost absolute sway.

From the year 153 on, the consuls, praetors, and all the aediles entered their respective offices on January 1, the quaestors on December 5, and the plebeian tribunes as before on December 10.

The Censors. — The censorship now became the crowning honor of a public career. This was largely due to the