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

The Licinian Laws 357
and then published bills, all of which were antagonistic to The proposals.
the power of the patricians and in the interest of the plebs,
one concerning debt, viz. that, subtracting from the principal
what had been paid by way of interest, what remained
was to be paid within three years in equal instalments;
the other concerning the limit of lands, that no
one should enter on more than fifty acres of (public) land;
the third that no elections be held of military tribune [with
consular power] and that under all
circumstances one of
the two consuls should be chosen from the plebs—all
matters of towering importance,—which could not be
maintained without the greatest effort.
When therefore a
critical struggle was impending, involving at one and the
same time all things for which an unlimited desire prevails
among men, to wit, land, money, and office of state,—the
senators thoroughly frightened and in a flutter of irresolution,
found in public and private conferences no remedy
but intercession, which had been tested in many prior
struggles. They set up some of the colleagues (in the
tribunate) against the bills of the tribunes. When they
saw that the people were being summoned by Licinius and
Sextius to begin the voting, they surrounded themselves
with a bodyguard of senators and they would not suffer
the bills to be read aloud nor any other customary form to
be gone through toward having the people pass any resolution.
And now having often called in vain a meeting, and
seeing the bills as good as defeated, Sextius said: "Very well,
since it is decided that intercession shall count for so much,
we will protect the plebs with that very weapon. Come, ye
senators, announce an election for choosing military tribunes,
I will see to it that no help come from that term
veto ("I forbid"), which with such satisfaction you now
hear our colleagues harmoniously utter." The threats were