two Tribunes to protect them against the Op∣pressions of the great Ones, and this happened in the Year 266, and the two Tribunes were Sicinius Bellutus and L. Junius. The Law for creating them was called Sacred, and the same declared the Tribunes to be sacred and inviolable Persons, who must not be injured upon Pain of Death, and the Mountain whither the People had retired was called Mons Sacer, because of the Oath which the Deputies of the Senate made to the People for allowing this Magistrate to them: These two Tribunes took in three more, and their Number increased to ten.
They had a Right to withstand the Delibera∣tions of the Senate, and the Orders of the very Consuls; there being nothing to be concluded on without their Consent, which they exprest by putting a T under the Order, and if the same did not please them, they hindred it to be put in Execution by subscribing the Word Veto with∣out giving any Reason for it: They wore a Purple Robe, and they were the only Persons whose Office did not cease upon the nominating of a Dictator: They could banish or imprison such as they thought criminal: They summoned a Consul and a Dictator to be tried before the People, when they were out of their Offices, and they could not tarry above one Day out of the City: The Doors of their Houses were o∣pen Night and Day, that so the People might have Recourse to them at all times; they had no Curule Chair, nor a Seat at first in the Senate; but their Seats were at the Door, where they examined the Deliberations of that Body: They had no Lictors to walk before them, but only one Usher: By the Atinian Law they were ad∣mitted into the Senate, and had a Right to give their Advice there; but their Authority was much lessened by the Cornelian Law, in point of publishing of Laws and haranging the People, and the same also supprest Appeals to the Peo∣ple; but afterwards the Consuls Q. Aurelius Cotta and L. Octavius in the Year of Rome 678 admit∣ted them to the Exercise of the highest Offices in the Republick, and allowed them the Honour of having the Fasces carried before them, and the same was confirmed to them by Pompey. The Office of Tribune became yet more considerable and illustrious under the Emperors, who took the Quality of Tribunes upon themselves; Augustus began it and held the Power of Tribune for 57 Years; A Quality, says Tacitus, that was invent∣ed for preserving of the Sovereign Authority above the other Magistrates, without taking that of King or Dictator upon them. Tiberius also held this Office for Five Years, and so did all the succeeding Emperors to Constantine the Great: It's true, they annually created Tribunes of the People, but this was only nominal, the Emperors carried all the Power from them. Ʋlpian places the Tribunes among those who ad∣ministred Justice at Rome, as they sate upon lit∣tle Benches in Subselliis.