Chap. 6.] THE EIGIIT OF WEAEING GOLD RINGS. "^ 



great personages. ^^ The son of a freedman only, and secretary 

 to Appius Csecus," (at whose request, by dint of natural shrewd- 

 ness and continual observation, he had selected these days and 

 made them public), ^^ he obtained such high favour with the 

 people, that he was created curule aedile; in conjunction with 

 Quintus Anicius Prsenestinus, who a few years before had been 

 an enemy to llome,^^ and to the exclusion of C. Poetilius and 

 Domitius, whose Withers respectively were of consular rank.^'' 

 The additional honour was also conferred on Flavius, of making 

 him tribune of the people at the same time, a thing which oc- 

 casioned such a degree of indignation, that, as we find stated in 

 the more ancient Annals, '* the rings^^ were laid aside !" 



Most persons, however, are mistaken in the supposition that 

 on this occasion the members of the equestrian order did the 

 same : for it is in consequence of these additional words, '* the 

 phalerae,^- too, were laid aside as well," that the name of the 

 equestrian order was added. These rings, too, as the Annals 

 tell us, were laid aside by the nobility, and not^^ by the whole 

 body of the senate. This event took place in the consulship 

 of P. Sempronius and P. Sulpicius.®* Flavius made a vow 

 that he would consecrate a temple to Concord, if he should 

 succeed in reconciling the privileged orders with the plebeians : 

 and as no part of the public funds could be voted for the pur- 

 pose, he accordingly built a small shrine of brass*^^ in the Grse- 



5^ This complex state of the Eoman Calendar long remained one of the 

 sources from which the priesthood and the patrician order derived their 

 power and influence over the plebeians. Having no other method of as- 

 certaining what days were "fasti," and what were " nefasti," the lower 

 classes were obliged either to apply to the priests and nobles for inform- 

 ation, or to await the proclamation by the priests of the various festivals 

 about to take place. 



^' Appius Claudius Caecus, the Censor and jurisconsult, who constructed 

 the Appian Way. ^^ a.u.c. 440, or b.c. 314. 



^5 In the war, probably, with the twelve nations of Etruria, who were 

 conquered by the Consul Fabius a.u.c. 444. See Livy, B. ix. 



^0 The father of the former C. PoetiUus Libo, was Consul a.u.c 428 : 

 the father of the latter, Cneius Domitius Calvinus, was Consul a.u.c. 432. 



^^ " Anulos abjectos." 



^2 The " phalerae " were bosses of metal, often gold, attached to the 

 harness of the horse. See B. vii, c. 29. 



^■'' He would probably imply hereby that, as he states subsequently, 

 at this period gold rings were not as yet worn by all the members of tiie 

 senate. «i a.u.c. 449. 



^° "^diculam seream'' — of brass or bronze. 



