Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/62

48 Law of Publilius Volero. — In the course of conflict and the lapse of years the plebeians probably realized that they had not attained their aims, and that they were not in due measure benefited by their organization. One of the principal causes of their weakness and failure was, that the clients of the patricians voted in the plebeian assembly, and wielded a great influence on the election of the tribunes. Thus the patricians were able to secure the election of some of their adherents, and to defeat some of their ablest and most dangerous opponents. In other cases they resorted to intimidation. It was becoming evident that an electoral reform was necessary in order to insure the choice of brave and independent men. The tribune Publilius Volero saw this, and in 471 secured the passage of a very important law (lex Publilia Voleronis), providing that the plebeian assembly should be organized and vote by districts (tribus). Each district was to cast one vote, which was decided by the majority of the voters belonging to it.

New Districts. — The original number of districts had been changed. It was perhaps in 495 that the Roman territory was redivided. The four Servian districts were now limited to the city, and hence called urban (tribus urbanae). The rest of the territory, enlarged by conquests since the Servian period, was divided into sixteen country districts (tribus rusticae), which bore the names of patrician clans. The twenty-first district, the Crustuminian, derived its name from the place where the plebeians had organized themselves, and may have been established in consequence of the Publilian law, in order to make the total number of districts uneven and avoid a tie in voting.

The Reorganized Assembly. — The districts were based on the possession of land, and only the freeholders were voters. The great majority of clients and freedmen, and a