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 refused. The most distinctive privilege of the Latin had been the concession of facilities for acquiring Roman political rights. A Latin who migrated from his town and became a domiciled immigrant (incola) of Rome had retained his civic rights in private law, and gained a limited power of suffrage. He could even by complete expatriation (exilium) surrender his own civitas and attain the full Roman citizenship. But the conditions subsequently imposed on this right were evaded, immigration continued unchecked, and there was a danger of the depopulation of the districts from which the exiles came. This evil suggested the later method, which gave the Latins admission to the civitas. The holder of a magistracy in his native town was, by the mere fact of his position, to become a full citizen of Rome. It is improbable that this right replaced the right of exile possessed by already existing Latin towns, and the date of its origin is unknown; but it possibly accompanied the remodelling of Latin rights in 268, and is henceforth the typical privilege of the Latin colony. Another mode in which the individual Latin could acquire the Roman civitas was by conducting a successful prosecution under the Acilian and Servilian laws of extortion.

The freedom of the cities, whether Latin or Italian, seems to

Bononia (189), Aquileia (181).]. Livy, with reference to the year 212, speaks of the sortitio as to the tribe or tribes in which the Latins should vote (xxv. 3, in the trial of Postumius "sitella lata est ut sortirentur ubi Latini suffragium ferrent").]
 * [Footnote: Spoletium (241), Cremona and Placentia (218), Copia (193), Valentia (192),