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

TRIB UNUS. TRIB UNI S. 1149
were in the city the magistrates of their tribes, and ap. elL. vii. 10.) In later times their duties apperformed the sacra on their behalf, and in times pear to have been confined to collecting the tribu.
of war they were their military commanders. (Liv. tum, which they made over to the military quaesi. 59; Dionys. ii. 64; Varro, de Ling. Lat. v. 81.) tors who paid the soldiers. CQJUAESTOR.] The
Niebuhr (ITist. of Rome, i. p. 331) supposes that lex Aurelia (70 B. c.) called the tribuni aerarii to
the tribunus celerumn was the tribune of the Rarmnes, the exercise of judicial functions, along with the
the oldest and noblest among the three tribes, and senatois and equites, as these tribunes represented
in this opinion he is followed by Ghttling (Gesch. the body of the most respectable citizens. (Orelli,
d. Rnz. Staats. ttser 166), though it is in direct Ono. ull. iii.p. 142; Appian, de Bell. Cin. iii.
contradiction to Dionysius (ii. 13) and Pomponius 23.) But of this distinction they were subse(de Orig. Jur. Dig. 1. tit. 2. s. 2. ~ 15), according quently deprived by Julius Caesar. (Suet, Caes.
to whom'the tribunusn celerum was the commander 41.)
of the celeres, the king's body-guard, a statement 3. TRIBUNI PLEBIs. The ancient tribunes of
which is rejected by Niebuhr without his being the plebeian tribes had undoubtedly the right of
supported by any ancient authority, except that convoking the meetings of their tribesi and of mainDionysius in one passage (ii. 64) vaguely speaks taining the privileges granted to them by king
of tribuni celerum in the plural. That however Servius and subsequently by the Valerian laws.
the tribunus celerum was really distinct from the But this protection was very inadequate against
three tribunes of the tribes, is acknowledged by the insatiable ambition and usurpations of the
Niebuhr himself in a subsequent part of his work patricians. When the plebeians, impoverished by
(iii. p. 41). In what manner the tribunus celerum long wars and cruelly oppressed by the patricians,
was appointed is uncertain, but notwithstanding at last seceded in the year 494 B. C. to the Mons
the statement of Dionysius, that Tatquinius Su- Sacer, the patricians were obliged to grant to the
perbus gave this office to L. Junius Brutus, it is plebeians the right of appointing tribunes (tribuni
much more probable that he was elected by the plebis) with more efficient powers to protect their
tribes or curiae; for we find that when the im- own order than those which were possessed by the
perium was to be conferred upon the king, the heads of the tribes. The purpose for which they
comitia were held under the presidency of the tri- were appointed was only to afford protection against
bunus cel rum, and in the absence of the king, to any abuse on the part of the patrician magistrates;
whom this officer was next in rank, he convoked and that they might be able to afford such protecthe colnitia: it was in an assembly of this kind tion, their persons were declared sacred and inviothat Brutus proposed to deprive Tarquinius of the lable, and it was agreed that whoever acted against
imperium. (Liv. i. 59.) A law passed under the this inviolability should be an outlaw, and that his
presidency of the tribunus celerum was called a property should be forfeited to the temple of Ceres.
lex tribunicia, to distingutish it from one passed (Liv. ii. 33; Dionys. vi. 89.) This decree seems
under the presidency of the king. [LEx REGIA.] to contain evidence that the heads of the tribes in
The tribunes of the three ancient tribes ceased to their attempts to protect members of their own
be appointed when these tribes themselves ceased order had been subject themselves to insult and
to exist as political bodies, and when the patricians maltreatment; and that similar things occurred even
became incorporated in the local tribes of Servius after the sanctity of the tribunes was established by
Tullius. [TRIBrUS (ROMAN).] treaty, may be inferred from the fact, that, some time:2. TRIBUNES OF THE SERVIAN TRIBES. When after the tribuneship was instituted, heavy punishServius Tullius divided the commonalty into thirty ments were again enacted against those, who should
local tribes, we again find that at the head of each venture to annoy a tribune when he was making a
of these tribes there was a tribune, whom Dionysius proposition to the assembly of the tribes. The law
calls qvmXapXos, like these of the patrician tribes. by which these punishments were enacted ordained
(Dionys. iv. 14.) He mentions them only in connec-: that no one should oppose or interrupt a tribune
tion with the city tribes, but there can be no doubt while addressing the people, and that whoever
that each of the rustic tribes was likewise headed should act contrary to this ordinance should give
by a tribune. The duties of these tribunes, who bail to the tribtines for the payment of whatever
were without doubt the most distinguished per- fine they should affix to his offence in arraigning
sons in their respective districts, appear to have him before the commonalty: if he refused to give
consisted at first in keeping a register of the in- bail, his life and property were forfeited. (Dionys.
habitants in each district and of their property, vii. 17.) It should however be observed that this
for purposes of taxation and for levying the troops law belongs to a later date than that assigned to it
for the armies. When'subsequently the Roman by Dionysius, as has been shown by Niebuhr (ii.
people became exempted from taxes, the main patt p. 98); it was in all probability made only a short
of their business was taken from them, but they tinme before its first application in 461 B. c. in the
still continued to exist. - Niebuhr (i. p. 421) sup — case of Caeso Quinctius. (Liv. iii. 13.) The triposes that the tribuni aerarii, who occur down to bunes were thus enabled to afford protection to any
the end of the republic, were only the successors of one who appealed to the assembly of the commonthe tribunes of the tribes. Varro (de Ling. Lat. alty, or required any other assistance. They were
vi. 86) speaks of curatores ononium, tribuum, a name essentially the representatives and the organs of
by which he probably mears the tribunes of the the plebeian order, and their sphere of action was
tribes. When in the year 406. c. the custom the comitia tributa. -With the patricians and their
of giving pay (stipendiusit) to the soldiers was in- comitia they had nothing to do. The tribunes
troduced, each of the tribuni aerarii had to collect themselves however were not judges and could inthe tributum in his own tribe, and with it to pay flict no punishments (Gellius, xiii. 12), but could
the soldiers (Varro, de Ling. Lat. v. 181), and in only propose the imposition of a fine to the corncase they did not fulfil this duty, the soldiers had monalty (mnultamn irroare). The tribunes were
the right of pignoris ca.pio against them. (Cato, thus in their origin only a protecting magistracy of