A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

The Republic,
509 B.C.
Cicero, Republic,
ii. 30.
Ancient
World, 339.
(Law of
Valerius
Publicola.)
The consuls.
Livy ii. I.
Rome, 27.
CHAPTER XXX
THE EARLY REPUBLIC: (I) THE PLEBEIANS WIN
THEIR RIGHTS
I. The Founding of the Republic
After the kingship had lasted more than two hundred
and fifty years, Tarquin was expelled. At this time the
Romans hated the name of king as much as they had once
longed for the deceased—or rather the departed—Romulus.
When Tarquin was banished, therefore, the monarchy
came to an end.
Then Publicola had a law passed by the popular assembly
that no magistrate should put to death or scourge a
Roman citizen without granting him the right of appeal to
the people.
But we date the beginning of liberty from this period because
the consuls were annual magistrates, not because they
had any less power than that of king. The first consuls had
all the privileges and trappings of royal authority. Care
was taken, however, that they might not appear doubly
terrible by both having the (lictors and) fasces at the same
time. With the consent of his colleague Brutus was first
attended by the fasces. He had been zealous in establishing
liberty, and now he was its faithful guardian.
First of
all he required the people, while still enraptured with their
new liberty, to swear that they would never again suffer a
king to rule at Rome; for he feared that they might afterward
be won over or bribed by the royal family. Next,
that a full list of members might give the senate more
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