Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/92

 CHAPTER VI. THE CLAUDIAN REFORMS AND THE HORTENSIAN LAWS, 312-287 B.C.

I. The Reforms of Appius Claudius, and the Reaction

The Aims of Appius Claudius. — The regular advancement of the plebeians was interrupted by a patrician reaction. The leader of the new movement was Appius Claudius Caecus, who combined in one of the most remarkable personalities of Roman history the aims of exclusive patricianism and the ideas of radical progress. He saw that Rome was destined to become the sovereign of Italy, and wished to promote and insure its sovereignty by political reforms and by public works executed on a large scale. The censorship offered by far the best opportunities for his purpose, and in 312 he secured his election as censor, together with Gaius Plautius. He seems to have met with no opposition from his colleague, and to have exercised the censorial powers with the utmost freedom.

Revision of Senatorial List. — Perhaps Appius desired to establish a patrician oligarchy as the best government for Italy; at any rate, he wished to humble the new plebeian nobility and to increase the influence of the patricians. In revising the list of senators, he allowed unworthy members to remain and omitted others really worthy. Contrary to all custom, he admitted a considerable number of sons (or grandsons) of freedmen. Possibly he intended to secure a majority of patricians and their dependents.