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

!1352 TRIBUNUS. TRIBUJS.
that mentioned by Cicero (in Verr. ii. 41; comp. iv. 9; Plin. Epist. i. 23, ix. 13; comp. Becker,
GelI. iv. 14; Liv. xxxviii. 52). In cases in which Han zdb. des- Riim. Altertlh. vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 247, &c.)
one member of the college opposed a resolution of 4. TRIBIuNI MILITTUM CUM CONSULARI POTEhis colleagues nothing could be done, and the STATE. When in 445 B. c. the tribune C. Canunmeasture was dropped; but this useful check was leits brought forward the rogation that the consul.
renloved by the example of C Tiberius Gracchus, ship should not be confined to either order (Liv. iv.
in wThich a precedent was given for proposing to 1; Dionys. xi. 52), the patricians evaded the at.
the people that a tribune obstinately persisting in tempt by a change in the constitution: the powers
his veto should be deprived of his office. (Appian, which had hitherto been united in the consulship
de Bell. Chi. i. 12; Plut. Tib. GraceCS. 11, 12, 15; were now divided between two new' magistrates,
Cic. de Leg. iii. 10; Dion Cass. xxxvi. 136) viz. the Tribsuni militusn cuZ consulari potestate and
From the time of the Hortensian law the power the censors. Consequently, in 444 B. c. three miof the tribunes had beer gradually rising to such a litary tribunes, with consular power, were appointed,
height that there was no other in the state to equal and to this office the plebeians were to be equally
it, whence Velleius (ii. 2) even speaks of the im- eligible with the patricians. (Liv. iv. 7; Dionys.
perium of tribunes. They had acquired the right xi. 60j &c.) For the years following however5
of proposing to the: comitia. tributa or the senate the people were to be at liberty, on the proposal of
measures on nearly all the important affairs of the the senate, to decide whether consuls were to be
state, and it would be endless to enumerate the elected according to the old custom, or consular
cases in which their power was manifested. Their tribunes. Henceforth, for many years, sometimes
proposals were indeed usually made ex auctoritate consuls and sometimes consular tribunes were apsniatus, or had been communicated to and ap- pointed, and the number of the latter varied from
proved by it (Liv. xlii..2 ); but cases in which the three to four, until in 405 B. c. it was increased to
people itself had a direct interest, such as a gene- six, and as the censors were regarded as their colral legal regulation (Liv. xxi. 63, xxxiv. 1), the leagues, we have sometimes mention of eight trigranting of the franchise (Liv. xxxviii. 36), the bunes. (Liv. iv. 61, v. 1; Diodor. xv. 50; Liv.
alteration of the attributes of a magistrate (- Liv. vi. 27; Diodor. xv. 51; Liv. vi. 30.) At last,
xxii. 25, &c.), and others, might be brought before however, in 367 B. C. the office of these tribunes
the people, without their having previously been was abolished by the Licinian law, and the consulcommunisicated to the senate, though there are also ship was restored. The consular tribunes were
instances of the contrary. (Liv xxxv, 7, xxvii. elected in the comitia of the centuries. and un5.) Subjects belonging to the administration doubtedly with less solemn auspices than the concou!d not be brought before the tribes without the suls. Concerning the irregularity of their number,
tribunes having previously received through the see Niebuhr, ii. p. 325, &c., p. 389, &c.; comp.
consuls the auctoritas of the senate. This how- Gbttling, p. 326, &c.; Becker, Hcndb. der Min.
ever was done very frequentiy, and hence we have Altertls. vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 136, &c.
mention of a number of plebscita on matters of 5. TRIBUNI MILITAmRiS. [EXERCITUS, pp.
admiuistration, (See a list of them in Walter,.503, 504.]
p. 132, n. 11.) It sometimes even occurs that the 6. TRIBUNUS VOLUPTATUM, was an officer who
tribunes brought the question concerning the con- does not occur till after the time of Diocletian,
clusion of a peace before the tribes, and then com- and who had the superintendence of all public
pelled the senate to ratify the resolution as ex- amusements, especially of theatrical performances.
pressing the wish of the whole people. (L.iv. xxx. (Cassiodor. Variar. vii. 10.) [L. S.]
43, xxxiii. 25.) Stilla in his reform of.the con- TRIBUS ((pxov, pAyiX). 1. GREEK. In the
stitution on the early aristocratic principles, left to earliest times of Greek history mention is made of
the tribunes only the jus auxiliandi, but de- people being divided into tribes and clans. Homer
prived them of the right of making legislative or speaks of such divisions in terms which seem to irnother proposals, either to the senate or the comi- ply that they were elements that entered into the
tie, without having previously obtained the sanc- composition of every community. Nestor advises
tion of the senate. [TRIBUS (ROMAN).] But Aganmemnon to arrange his army tKraTa qPAa, ca&Ta
this arramgement did not last, for Pompey restored rppjrTpas, so that each may be encouraged by the
to them their fornier rights. (Zachariae, L. Corn. presence of its neighbours. (It. ii. 362.) A perSClla, cls Ordner dles Rm,. Fereistaates, ii. p. 12, son not included in any clan (-&pprTop), was re&c. and p. 99, &c.).. garded as a vagrant or outlaw. (II. ix. 63.) These
During the latter period of the republic, when divisions were rather natural than political, dethe office of quaestor.was in most cases held im- pending on family connection, and arising out of
mediately before that of tribune, the tribunes were those times, When each head of a famlily exercised
generally elected from among' the senators, and a patriarchal sway over its lmembers. The bond
this continued to be the same under the empire. was cemented by religious communion, sacrifices
(Appian. de Bell. Ci:. i. 100.) Sometimes, how. and festivals, which all the filmily or clansmen
ever, equites also obtained the office, and thereby attended, and at which the chief usually presided.
became members of the senate (Suet. Aug. 10, 40), The aggregate of such communities formed a powhere they were considered of equal rank with!itical society. (Aristot. Pot. i. I. ~ 7.) In the ages
the quaestors. (Vell. Pat. ii. 111.) Tribunes of succeeding the heroic tribes and clans continued to
the people. continued to exist down to the fifth exist, though in the progress of civilisation they
century of our aera, though their powers became became more extended, and assumed a territorial
naturally much-limited, especially in the reign of or political, rather than a fraternal character. The
Nero. (Tacit. Anznal. iii. 28.) They continued tribes were not in general distinctions between
however to have the right.of intercession against nobles and commons, unless the people were of
decrees of the senate, and on behalf of injured in- different races, or unless there had been an accesdividuals. (Tacit. Ainnal. xvi. 26, JIlist. ii. 91, sion of foreigners, who were not blended with the