Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

SENATUS. SENATUS. 10 1 7
Gra6cch. 5, &c.) states, that Gracchus added to the Dionysius (ii. 14) also states that the senators
senate 300 equites, whom he was allowed to select were elected by the populus, but the manner in
from the whole body of equites, and that he trans- which he describes the election is erroneous, for
ferred the judicia to this new senate of 600. This he believes that the three tribes were already
account seems to be founded upon a confusion of united when the senate consisted of only one
the lex judiciaria of C. Gracchus with the later hundred members, and that the senators were
one of Livius Drusus (WVralter, Gescs. d. PZijM. elected by the curies. Niebuhr (i. p. 338)
Iecldss, p. 214), and all the other writers who men- thinks, that each gens sent its decurio, who was
tion the lex judiciaria of C. Gracchus do not allude its alderman, to represent it in the senate; Gotto any change or increase in the number of sena- tling (p. 151, comp. p. 62) on the otller hand
tors, but merely state that he transferred the judi- believes, with somewhat more probability, that
cia from the senate to the equites, who remained in each decury (the EIcdCs of Dionysius), which contheir possession till the tribuneship of Livius Dru- tained either a part of one or parts of several
sus. The latter proposed, that as the senate con- smaller gentes, had to appoint one old man by
sisted of 300, an equal number of equites should whom it was represented in the senate. and a
he elected (&plorvlslVv) into the senate, and that in younger one as eques. This supposition removes
fueture the judices should be taken from this senate the difficulty respecting the decurio, which has
of 600. (Appian. B. B. i. 35; Aurel. Vict. d(e Vir. been pointed out by Walter (Geschl. d. irom. Rec/ts,
Illustr. 66; Liv. Epit. 71.) After the death of p. 23. n. 12); for the decurio was the commander
Livius Drusus, however, this law was abolished by of a division of the armlly, and as such could not
the senate itself, on whose behalf it had been pro- well have been of the age of a senator. As, acposed, and the senate now again consisted of 300 cording to this theory, each decury or gens apmembers. During the civil war between Marius pointed one senator, each cury was represented by
and Sulla many vacancies must have occurred in ten, each tribe by one hundred. and the whole
the senate. Sulla in his dictatorship not only filled populus by three hundred senators, all of whonl
up these vacancies, but increased the number of lield their dignity for life. But this theory cannot
senators. All we know of this increase with cer- be accepted, for we inmust either set nearly all
tainty is, that he caused about 300 of the most the ancient authorities at defiance, or we must
distinguished equites to be elected into the senate acquiesce in the old opinion that the king ap(Appian. B. C. i. 100), but the real increase which pointed the senators. The plebeians as such
he made to the number of senators is not mentioned were not represented in the senate, for the inanywhere. It appears, however, henceforth to stallces in which plebeians are mentioned as being
have consisted of between five and six hundred. made senators, as in the reign of Tarquinius Pris(Cic. ad Att. i. 14.) Julius Caesar augmented the cus and after the abolition of the kingly power,
number to 900, and raised to this dignity even cannot be regarded in any other light than mere
common soldiers, freedmen, and peregrini. (Dion momentary measures, which the government was
Cass. xliii. 47; Suet. Caes. 80.) This arbitrari- obliged to adopt for several reasons, and witho)ut
ness in electing unworthy persons into the senate, any intention to appoint representatives of the
and of extending its number at random, was imi- plebes. (Niebuhr, i. p. 526, &c.) The numbers of
tated after the death of Caesar, for on one occasion such plebeian senators at any rate must have been
there were more than one thousand senators. (Suet. much smaller than they are stated by our authorilAut. 35.) Augustus cleared the senate of the un- ties, for there is no instance of any plebeian senaworthy members, who were contemptuously called tor on record until the year 439 a. c., when Spurils
by the people Orcini senatores, reduced its number Maelius is mentioned as senator. The senate itto 600 (Dion Cass. liv. 14), and ordained that a list self appears to have had some influence upon the
of the senators should always be exhibited to public election of new members, inasmuch as it might raise
inspection. (Dion Cass. lv. 3.)- During the first objections against a person elected. (Dionys. vii. 55.)
centuries of the empire, this number appears, on the The whole senate was divided into decuries, cacls
whole, to have remained the same; but as every- of which corresponded to a curia. Whei tlhe
thing depended upon the will of the emperor, we senate consisted of only one hundred members,
can scarcely expect to find a regular and fixed there were accordingly only ten decuries of senanumber of them. (Dion Cass. liii. 17.) During the tores; and ten senators, one being taken from each
latter period of the empire their number was again decury, formed the decems prfimi vwho represented
very much diminished. the ten curies. When subsequently the representWith respect to the eligibility of persons for atives of the two other tribes were admitted into
the senate, as well as to the manner in which they the senate, the Ramnes with their decem primi rewere elected, we must distinguish between the tained for a time their superiority over the two
several periods of Roman history. It was formerly other tribes (Dionys. ii. 58, iii. 1; Plnt. Numse. 3),
a common opinion, founded upon Livy (i. 8) and and gave their votes first. (Dionys. vi. 84.) The
Festus (s. v. Praeteriti senstotves), which has in first among the decem primi was the princeps
modern times found new supporters in Huscllke senate/s, who was appointed by the king (Dionys.
and Rubino, that in the early period of Roman ii. 12; Lyd. de Aoeos. i. 19), and was at the same
history the kings appointed the members of the time custos urbis. [PRAEFECTUS URB.] Respectsenate at their own discretion. Niebuhr and ing the age at which a person might be -elected
others after him have attempted to show that the into the senate during the kingly period, we know
populus of Rome was the real sovereign, that all no more than what is indicated by the name senathe powers which the kings possessed were dele- tor itself, that is, that they were persons of adgated to them by the populus, and that the senate vanced age. (Comp. Becker, IRP;s. Alter/l. vol. ii.
was an assembly formed on the principle of re- pt. ii. p. 385, &c.)
presentation, so that it represented the populus, On the establishment of the republic the elecand that its members were elected by the populus. tion of senators. passed from the hands of the