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

FRUMENTARIAE LEGES. FRUMENTARIAE LEGES. 549
Plut. C. Gracchus, 5; Vell. Pat. ii. 6; Cic. pro modii a month at the price of 6' asses for each
Set. 48.) This was only a trifle more than half modius. It appears from the various orations of
the market price, since in the time of Cicero 3 ses Cicero, that by this law the provinces were
terces = 12 asses were considered a low sum for a obliged to furnish the greater part of the corn at a
modius of wheat (Biickh, eltrol. Untersch. p. 420.) fixed price, which was paid by the Roman treaIt must not be supposed that each person was sury, and that the governors of the provinces had
allowed to receive as much as he pleased every to take care that the proper quantity of corn was
month; the quantity must of course have been supplied. (Cic. Verr. iii. 70, v. 21, pro Sext. 25;
fixed, and was probably five modii monthly, as Ascon. itn Pis. 4, p. 9;, ed. Orelli.) Occasionally
in later times. This quantity was only given to extraordinary distributions of corn were made in
fathers of families; but it was not confined to the virtue of decrees of the senate. (Cic. Verr. 1. c.;
poor, as Plutarch (I. c,) would imply, for every Plut. Cat. niae. 26, Caes. 8.)
citizen had a right to it, whether he were rich or All the Leges Frumentariae, that have been
poor (iCde-rC TMY -r lor70v, Appian, 1. c.; viritin, hitherto mentioned, had sold corn to the people,
Cic. Tusc. Disp. iii. 20); and even Piso, who had although at a price much below what the state
been consul, applied for his share at the distribution had paid for it; but as the great party-leaders to(Cic. 1. c.) It appears, however, from the anecdote wards the close of the republic were ready to purwhich Cicero relates about Piso, that each citizen chase the support of the people at any sacrifice to
had to apply in person, a regulation which would the state, the distribution of corn became at length
of itself deter most of the rich. The example that quite gratuitous. Caesar, in his consulship, B.c. 59,
had been set by Gracchus was too tempting not to had threatened to make it so (Cic. adc Att. ii. 19;
be followed, although the consequences of such a comp. pro Dom. 10); and this threat was carried
measure were equally prejudicial to the public into execution in the following year, B. C. 58, by
finances and the public morality. It emptied the the Lex Clodia of the tribune Clodius. The corn
treasury, and at the same time taught the poor to was thus in future distributed without any paybecome state-paupers instead of depending upon ment; and the abolition of the payment cost the
their own exertions for obtaining a living. state a fifth part of its revenues. (Cic. pro Sext.
The demagogue Appuleius Saturninus went 25; Schol. Bob. ad Sext. 25, p. 301, ed. Orelli;
still further. In B.C. 100 he brought forward Ascon. in Pis. 4. p. 9; Dion Cass. xxxviii. 13.)
his Lex Appuleia, by which the state was to sell' In B. C. 57, Pompey received by the Lex Cornelia
corn at iths of an as for the modius. The city Caecilia the superintendence of the corn-market
quaestor Q. Caepio pointed out that the treasury (cura annonae) for a period of five years; but no
could not bear such an expense, and the most alteration was made in the distribution of corn by
violent opposition was offered to the mleasure. It virtue of this measure. The only extension which
is doubtful whether it ever passed into a law; he gave to the distribution was by allowing those
and it is at all events certain that it was never citizens, whose names had not hitherto been encarried into execution (Auctor, ad H-esnn. i. 12; tered in the lists of the censors, to share in the
comp. Cic. de Leg. ii. 6.) The Lex Livia, which bounty of the state. (Dion Cass. xxxix. 24.)
was proposed by the tribune, MI. Livins Drusus, The dangerous consequences of such a system
in B. C. 91, was likewise never carried into effect, did not escape the penetration of Caesar; and acas it was repealed by the senate, together with all cordingly, when he became master of the Roman
his other laws as passed in opposition to the world, he resolved to remedy the evils attending
auspices. Of the provisions of this Lex Frumnentaria it, as far as he was able. He did not venture to
we have no account (Liv. Epit. 71). About the abolish altogether these distributions of corn, but
same time, either shortly before or shortly after he did the next best thing in his power, which
the Lex Livia, the tribune M. Octavius, supported was reducing the number of the recipients. During
by the aristocracy, brought forward the Lex Oc- the civil wars numbers of persons, who had no
tavia, which modified the law of Gracchus to some claim to the Roman franchise, had settled at Rome
extent, so that the public treasury did not suffer in order to obtain a share in the distributions of
so much. He probably either raised the price of corn. The first thing, therefore, that Caesar did
the corn, or diminished the numnber of modii which was to have an accurate list made out of all the
each citizen was entitled to receive. (Cic. Brut. corn-receivers, and to exclude from this privilege
22, de Off ii. 21.) Sulla went still further, and every person who could not prove that he was a
by his Lex CorneZlia, B. C. 82, did away altogether lRoman citizen. By this measure the 320,000
with these distributions of corn, so that in the persons, who had previously received the corn,
language which Sallust puts into the mouth of were at once reduced to 150,000.* Having thus
Lepldus, popuuGs Romeansus — ne sereilia quiden reduced the number of corn-receivers to 150,000,
alinmenta reliqta Aeabet. (Sall. Hist. in Orat. Lepid. he enacted that this number should not be exceeded
p. 939, ed. Cort.) But the senate soon found it for the future, and that vacancies that occurred by
inexpedient to deprive the people of their cus- death, should be filled up every year by lot by the
te)mary largesses, as the popular party began to praetor urbanus. (Suet. Caes. 55; Dion Cass. xliii.
increase in power; and it was accordingly at the 21.) It is further exceedingly probable that as a
desire of the senate, that the consuls of B.. 73 general rule, the corn was not given even to these
brought forward the Le erentica Cacssia, which 150,000, but sold at a low price, as had been the
was probably only a renewal of the Lex Sempronia, case at an earlier period; and that it was only to
with one or two additions respecting the manner in the utterly destitute that the corn was supplied
which the state was to obtain the corn. The law
enacted that each Roman citizen should receive 5 * It must be borne in mind that this was not a
- census, as Plutarch (Caes. 55) and Appian (B. C.
we ought to read sezis instead of semnisse. (M{ou!m- ii. 102) state, but simply an enumeeration of thle
sen, Die niimischen Trilbus, p. 179.) corn-receivers.
N N