Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/287

Rh should be superior to the old aristocracy and the senatorial class.

Membership of the Popular Assemblies. — While Caesar reduced the senate to a much lower position than it was destined to occupy under the early empire, he allowed the popular assemblies to remain formally the same. He did not reorganize them, although no census had been taken for a quarter of a century. The classification of old citizens was therefore very faulty and defective; Roman citizenship had also been extended recently, and Roman colonies had been founded in the provinces. The urban population might still form, for example, the centuriate assembly in all its divisions. But it was an exceedingly defective representation of the Roman people, who were scattered all over the Mediterranean world, and it could not be permitted to exercise any great influence on the imperial government.

Powers of the Assemblies. — As Caesar did not wish to establish a military monarchy, he was obliged to control the assemblies by other means than force. In consideration of all he had done for the urban multitude, he might suppose his popularity would suffice to secure the adoption of his measures. His leniency toward the Pompeians, his public works, and the fact that he had not, like Sulla, confiscated lands to any great extent, might be expected to influence the middle classes in Italy and insure their support.

Moreover, with his dictatorial and tribunician powers he controlled almost absolutely all other magistrates, and thereby the assemblies, which could take no legal action alone. He also nominated about one-half of the ordinary magistrates and all the extraordinary officials, and hence made them personally dependent on himself. In this way he could better check the activity of the assemblies, and he materially reduced their electoral powers.