Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/82

68 Praetorship and Curule Aedileship. — Once more the patricians were willing to weaken the consulship in order to save a remnant of their old privileges. The ordinary administration of justice in civil cases was taken away from the consuls and given to a new patrician magistrate, the praetor, who was to be a subordinate colleague (collega minor) of the consuls, and who in their absence should possess in the main consular powers. Two Other patrician magistrates, the curule aediles (aedlies curules), were to supervise the market and exercise a certain jurisdiction in connection with it; and they, as well as the plebeian aediles, were to prosecute those who occupied more than the maximum of public land. In addition, they were to have charge of the celebration of the national festival (ludi Romani or maximi).

Political Importance of the Licinio-Sextian Law. — The Licinio-Sextian law formed the turning-point in the civil strife of two centuries: before its passage the plebeians were the inferior and the weaker party; afterward they were in general the victorious and stronger party, busily engaged for two generations in raping the fruits of their victory. Civil equality, such as had existed in the patrician state, was largely restored, and raised the position of every plebeian citizen. But the chief supporters of the law, the plebeian asistocracy, were also the greatest gainers. They now began to share with the patricians the curule magistracies (p. 102) and the hereditary distinctions of nobility connected with them. The effect of the law was therefore similar to that of creating a number of English peers. Plebeian senators who had filled the consulship acquired the right to express their opinions with the patrician ex-consuls previous to the other senators; and the plebeians formed later the majority in the senate. They shared also the old patrician sacerdotal dignities, being admitted to the college third in rank (decemviri sacris faciundis).