Page 1293
378. 379. 380. 381. 382.
- ...C. Licinius Stolo.
- ...L. Sextius.
Tribunes of the Com∣mons five yeeres.
IN this yeere happened the fourth chaunge of the Roman government: for the admini∣stration of the weale publicke, fell from Tri∣bunes militarie in Consuls authoritie, to the Tribunes of the Commons. The authors that procured this mutation, were (as Livie repor∣teth) C. Licinius Stolo and L. Sextius, Tribunes of the Commons, who in the former yeere ha∣ving promulged three lawes in favour of the Commons and against the power of the Pa∣tritij, the first for redressing of debts; a second for a stent of lands and possessions; & the third, that there should bee no more elections of Tribb. militarie, & that one of the Coss. should necessarily be chosen a commoner: seeing they could not goe through with these laws, by rea∣son of their owne fellowes oppositions (whome of purpose the nobles had made for themselves) fell into an anger, and would suffer no curule magistrates of state to be created, nor any ele∣ction to be holden, but onely of Aediles & Tri∣bunes, both of Commons. This desolate est••te and want of magistrates (whiles the Commons made the same Tribunes still, who with unces∣sant and invincible persistance never gave over to crosse the election of Tribunes militarie) continued in the cittie for the space of five yeeres, as Livie saith. This want of magistrates Diodorus calleth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and casteth it upon the former yeere. But Sext. Rusus, Eutropius, Cassiodorus, and Zonaras write, that they ru∣led the state not five yeeres, but foure onely. Si∣gonius and Onuphrius in his Kalender, follow Livie, and his Annales it seemeth that the Ca∣pitoline writers go by. Plinie also in the sixteen booke and foure and fortieth chapter, maketh mention of the yeere three hundred seventie nine from the foundation of the citie, in which yeere he saith that at Rome