Chap. 6*.] THE RIGHT OF WEARING GOLD RINGS. 77 



great personages.** The son of a freedraan only, and secretary 

 to Appius Caieus, 57 (at whose request, by dint of natural shrewd, 

 ness and continual observation, he had selected these days and 

 made them public), 4 * he obtained such high favour with the 

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

 Quintus Anieius Preciiestinus, who a few years before had been 

 an enemy to Koine, w and to the exclusion of C. Pcetilius and 

 Doxnitius, whose fathers respectively were of consular rank/"" 

 The additional honour was also conferred on Flavins, of making 

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

 casioued such a degree of indignation, that, as we iind staled in 

 the more ancient Annals, " the rings 61 were laid aside !" 



Jlost persons, however, are mistaken in the supposition th.it 

 on this occasion the members of the equestrian order did tl.e 

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

 phalene, 6 - too, were laid aside as well," that the naint of the. 

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

 tell us, were laid aside by the nobility, and not 03 by the whole 

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

 of J*. Scmpronius and 1*. JSulpicius. 64 llavius 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 bliriiie of brass'' 5 in the line- 



56 This complex state of the Human 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." uud what were * nefasti," the lo\\t-r 

 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. 



67 Appius Claudius Caucus, the Censor and jurisconsult, who constructed 

 the Anpian Way. ^ A.v.c. 410, or u.c. 314. 



i9 In the war, probably, with the twelve nations of Etruria, who were 

 conquered by the Consul l-'abius A.r.c. 444. See Livy, J;. i\. 



60 The father of the former C. Pulilius Libo, was Consul A.U.C. 42S : 

 the father of the latter, Cneius Domitius Calvinus, was Consul A.U.C. 4ii2. 



61 *' Anulos abjectos." 



62 The '" phaler;u " wore bosses of metal, often gold, attached to the 

 harness of the horse. See 15. vii. C. 29. 



* J lie would probably imply hereby that, as lie states subsequently, 

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

 senate. 6 * A.r.c. 440. " 



<^ "Jkdiculam a-ream" of brass or bronze. 



