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

10;22' SENATUS. SENATUSCONSULTUIM.
in the above categories, or which lie might have distinction was first procured for the senators by
decided himself, to the senate, or requested its co- Scipio Africanus Major, 194 B.C. (Liv. xxxiv. 54
operation. (Suet. (Ilzaud. 14, 15, Nero, 15, Domsit. Cic. pro Chltent. 47.) The same honour was granted
8, &c.) Respectins the provinces of the senate see to the senators in the reign of Claudius at the games
I'ROVINCIA. in the circus. (Suet. Claud. 21; Dion Cass. ix. 7.)
When Constantinople was made the second 4. Onl a certain day in the year a sacrifice was ofcapital of the empire, Constantine instituted also a fered to Jupiter in the capitol, and on this occasion
second senate in this city (Sozomen, ii. 2; Exceipt. the senators alone had a feast in the capitol; the
de yest. Const. 30), upon which Julian conferred all right was called the jis publice epulandi. (Gellius,
the privileges of the senate of Rome. (Zosim. iii. xii. 8; Suet. Augg. 35.) 5. The jets liberae legc11; Liban. Orat. ad Tlteodos. ii. p. 383, ed. tionis. [LEGATUS, sub finet.] [L. S.]
Morell.) Both these senates were still sometimes SENATUSCONSULTUM. In his enumeraconsulted by the emperors in an oratio upon mat- tion of the formal parts of the Jus Civile, Cicero inters of legislation (Cod. Theod. 6, tit. 2. s. 14; eludes Senattsconsulta. (Top. 5.) Numlerous Leges
Symmach. Epist. x. 2. 28; Cod. 1. tit. 14. s. 3): properly so called were enacted in the reign of
the senate of Constantinople retained its share in Augustus, and Leges, properly so called, were
legislation down to the ninth century. (Nov. Leon. made even after his time. [Lax.] It was
78.) Each senate also continued to be a high under Augustus however that the Senatusconcourt of justice to which the emperor referred im- sulta began to take the place of Leges properly
portant crimlilnal cases. (Anom. Marc. xxviii. 1. so called, a change which is also indicated by the
23; Symmacb. Epiist, iv. 5; Zosim. v. 11, 38.) fact that until his time the Senatusconsulta were
Capital offences committed by senators, however, not designated either by the names of the Con.
no longer came under their jurisdiction, but either suls or by any other personal name, so far as we
under that of the governors of provinces, or of have evidence. But from that time we find the
the prefects of the two cities. (Walter, p. 367, Senatusconsulta designated either by the name of
&c.) Civil cases of senators likewise belonged to the Consuls, as Apronianum, Silanianum, or from
the forum of the praefectus urbi. (Cod. 3. tit. 24. the name of the Caesar, as Claudianum, Neronias. 3; Symmach. Epist. x. 69.) The senatorial num; or they are designated as made " auctore "
dignity was now obtained by descent (Cod. Theod. or " ex auctoritate Hadriani," &c., or " ad ora6. tit. 2. s. 2; 12. tit. 1. s. 58; Cassiodor. Vatriar. tionem Hadriani," &c. The name of the Senatusiii. 6), and by having held certain offices at the consultumn Macedonianumn is an exception, as will
court, or it was granted as an especial favour by afterwards appear,
the emperor on the proposal of the senate. (Cod. Many Senatusconsultta were enacted in the
Theod. i. c.; Symmach. ioist. x. 25. 118.) To Republican period, and some of them were laws ill
lbe made a senator was indeed one of the greatest the proper sense of the term, though some modern
honours that could be conferred, and was more writers have denied this position. But the opivalued than in the times of the republic; but its nion of those who deny the legislative power of
burdens were very heavy, for not only had the sena- the Senate during the Republican period is optors to give public games (Symmach. Epist, x. 25. posed by facts. An attempt has sometimes been
28t), to smake magnificent presents to the emperors made to support it by a passage of Tacitus (" tunm
(Cod. Theod. 6. tit. 2. s, 5), and in times of need primum e campo Comitia ad patres translate stint,"
extraordinary donations to the people (Zosim. v, Ann. i. 15), a passage which only refers to the
41; Symmiach. Ep. vi. 14, 26, vii. 68), but in ad- elections. It is difficult however to determine how
dition they had to pay a peculiar tax upon their far the legislative power of the Senate extended.
landed property, which weas called fllis' or gleba. A recent writer (Walter, Gesclichlte des R6ss/..
(Zosimn. ii. 32; Cod. Theod, 6. tit. 2; Symmaclh. Recihts, 437, 1st ed.) observes " that the SenatusFpist. iv. 61.) A senator who had no landed pro- consulta were an important source of law for matperty was taxed at two folles. (Cod. Theod. 6. ters which concerned adminlistration, the maisntit. 2. s. 2, 6. tit. 4. s. 21,) It was therefore only tenance of Religion, the suspension or repeal of
the wealthiest persons of the empire, no matter to laws ill the case of urgent public necessity, the
what part of it they belaonged, that could aspire rights of the Aerarium and the Publicani, the
to the dignity of senator. A list of them, together treatment of the Italians and the Provincials."
with an account of their property, was laid before (Liv. xxvi. 34, xxxix. 3, xli. 9.) The following
the emperor every three months by the prefect of are instances of Senatusconsulta under the Rethe city. (Symmach. x. 66, &c.) Down to the public: a Senatusconsultum " ne quis in urbe
time of Justinian the consuls were the presidents sepeliretur;" the Senatusconsultum de Bacchanaof the senate, but from this time the praefectus libus hereafter more particularly mentioned; a
urbi always presided. (Cod. Theod. 6. tit. 6. s. 1; Senatusconsultum de Libertinorum triba (Liv. xlv.
Nov. Instit. 62.) 15); a Senatltsconsultumn de Macedonia (Liv. xlv.
It now remains to mention some of the distinc- 18); a Senatusconsultum de Sumtibus at the Megations and privileges enjoyed by Roman senators: lenses ludi (Gell. ii. 24); a Senatusconsultum
]. The tunica with a broad purple stripe (lotus " ne homo immolaretur" (Plin. I. N. xxx. 1); a
clanvs) in front, which was woven in it, and not as Senatusconsultum de provinciis Quaestoriis; a
is commonly believed sewed upon it. (Acron. ad Senatusconsultum made M. Tullio Cicerone reIorat. Sat. i. 5. 35; compare i. 6. 28; Quinctil. ferente to the effect, "ut legationum liberarums
xi. 3.) 2. A kind of short boot with the letter C tempus annuum esst; " various Senatusconsulta de
on the front of the foot. (Juv. vii. 1 92; Cic. P/al. collegiis dissolvendis; an old Senatusconsultum.
xiii. 13.) This C is generally supposed to msean " Senatutsconsultum vetus ne liceret Africanas (bescentaltu7, and to refer to the original number of 100 tiac) in Italiam advehere," which was so far re(cenltzuu) senators. 3. The right of sitting in the pealed by a Plebiscitum proposed by Cn. Aufidius,
orchestra in the theatres and anlphitheatres. This Tribunus Plebis, that the importation for the pur
i'rbns Pei,1a neIprainfrtepr