Page:The Ancient City- A Study on the Religion, Laws, and Institutions of Greece and Rome.djvu/311

 C'lIAP. 1. PAIKICIANS AND CLIENTS. 305 father, and that, the father being dead, the oldest son alone enjoyed political riglits.' The law then counted in the city neither the younger branches of the family, nor, for still stronger reason, the clients. Aristotle also adds that the real citizens were at that time very- few. The assembly which deliberated on the general in- terests of the city was composed, in those ancient times, only of heads of families — patres. We may be al- lowed to doubt Cicero when he tells us that Romulus called the senators fathers^ to mark their paternal affection for the people. The members of the senate naturally bore this title because they were the cliiefs of the gentes. At the same time that these men, united, represented the city, each one of them re- mained absolute master in his gens^ which was for him a kind of little kingdom. We also see, from the com- mencement of Rome, another moi-e numerous assembly, that of the curies ; but it differs very little from that of the patres. These formed the principal element of this assembly ; only, every pater appeared there sur- rounded by his family ; liis relatives, his clients, even, formed his cortege, and marked his power. Each family had, moreover, but one vote in the comitia.* The chief might, indeed, consult liis relations, and even his clients, but he alone voted. Besides, the law forbade a client to have a different opinion from his patron. If the clients were connected with the city, it was through tlieir patrician chiefs. They took part in public wor- • Aristotle, Pol., VIII. 5,2-3. ' Aulus Gcllius, XV. 27. Wc shall see that clientship under- went clianges later. We speak here only of the first ages of Rome. 20