HISTORY AND ETHNOLOGY. 45 



Without seeking the consent of the senate, or fearing the opposition of tlie 

 tribunes, he decided all affairs of the state, and possessed the authority of 

 life and death. After the Macedonian war, liowever, no instance 

 occurred of the choice of a dictator. Twenty-four lictors preceded liim, as 

 well within the city as beyond its walls. Only when there was a dictator, 

 and by him alone, a maglster equitum was appointed. It was his business 

 to command the horsemen, and act, as it were, as adjutant-general to the 

 dictator. 



The above mentioned officers formed the grand council. Other subor- 

 dinate and occasional officers were : the praefect of the city {prafecttis 

 urhis)^ acting during the absence of the consul ; decemviri (council of ten), 

 appointed to frame a code of laws ; trihuni railituni (council of war) ; and 

 trmmviri (council of three). 



The Ti-ibunes of the People {trihuni plehis) belonged to the minor 

 council. Tliey had to guard the rights of the citizens against encroach- 

 ments, and their persons were inviolable. At first they only had the 

 right of protest against the arrogations of consuls or senators, but they soon 

 extended their power. Their functions ceased with the republic. Under 

 thcf emperors their dignity amounted to nothing but the mere title. 



Other offices of the minor council were the yEdiles plebeii et curules^ 

 Qucestores^ &c., who had to regulate the market-prices, the transfer of 

 property, &c. 



Under the emperors the Prcefecti prcetorii (governors of the emperor's 

 palace) held a high rank. 



We mention finally the commanders of the fleets {prcpfecti classium\ 

 and the commander of the seven cohorts which guarded the city {prcefectus 

 vigihirn). 



For the assistance of these officers we find, 1, the scribce^ who recorded 

 the legislative acts, and preserved the public documents and archives ; 

 2, the notarii, who recorded public transactions ; 3, the prcecones, who 

 called the people to the assemblies, delivered the proclamations in these 

 assemblies, conducted auctions, &c. ; 4, lictores, who preceded or followed 

 the higher officers in their processions, and executed the judgments against 

 convicts ; they bore the fasces already described {pi. 12, Jig. 9, a lictor) ; 

 5, cbccensi and viatores, who occupied with certain magistrates the place of 

 praecones and lictors. The latter had originally been messengers who 

 summoned the country senators to the meeting of the senatorial body. 

 L- Upon their first entrance on the stage of history, the Romans sought 

 pre-eminence in war, and accordingly the interests of the warrior and 

 those of the state were identical. The consciousness of their strength as 

 warriors made them exercise their civic privileges without detriment to the 

 public spirit of order, which was guarded by a great simplicity of manners, 

 a deep reverence for religion, the stringent nature of the domestic and 

 public laws, and by the high authority of the magistrate. We may 

 characterize the early Romans as being endowed with indomitable valor, 

 contempt of death, love of renown and patriotism, a deep contempt for 

 imbecility, and an aversion to intellectual culture. ' But when Rome 



21Y 



