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

The Tribal Assembly 353
as a slave in a foreign country beyond the Tiber. But if
the debtor is assigned to many creditors, let them on the
third market-day cut his body into several pieces. If
they cut more or less, let it bring no damage to themselves.
IV.
Further Growth of Plebeian Rights
a. The Valerian-Horatian Laws
After the subversion of the decemvirate, the first per- Power of
sons who were invested with the consular dignity by the
assembly
people in an assembly of the centuries, were, as I said, enlarged,
Lucius Valerius Potitus and Marcus Horatius Barbatus.
Dionysius
These magistrates, who were themselves of a popular xi. 45.
disposition and had inherited these principles from their
Ancient
ancestors, adhered to the promises they had made to the ^'"'^'^' 34S'
plebeians, when they persuaded them to lay down their
arms. Avowing that, in their administration, they would
consult nothing but the interest of the people, they enacted
several laws in the assembly of centuries,—while the
patricians were dissatisfied but ashamed to oppose them,
—some laws which I need not record, and particularly
that which ordains that the laws passed by the people in
their assemblies by tribes should bind all the Romans
without distinction,
and have the same force with those
which should be passed in the assemblies by centuries.
The punishments appointed against such as should abro-
This stategate
or transgress this law, if convicted thereof, were to correct a
death and the confiscation of their fortunes. ... It was ^^t^he^s"*^
stated above that in the assemblies by tribes the plebeians sembly of
tribes here
mentioned
, , • • •
1
and the poorer sort were superior to the patricians;
1 .
but
in the assembly by centuries, the patricians, though far ^ain patri-°'^'
less numerous, were superior to the plebeians.