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

CHAPTER XXXV
GROWTH OF PLUTOCRACY; PROGRESS IN
CIVILIZATION
I. Government
The Roman government has three factors, each of them The three
possessing sovereign power; and their respective shares of
is,ctors or
"estates"
power in the whole state have been regulated with such °rjJm^elt°7"
scrupulous regard to equality and balance that no one can
p^j^j^j^^ ^j
say for certain, not even a native, whether the constitution n.
as a whole is an aristocracy or democracy or despotism.
And no wonder: for if we confine our observation to the ^^l^cimt
World,
power of the consuls, we should be mclmed to regard it as 401-3.
despotic; if to that of the senate, as aristocratic; and if
finally one looks at the power possessed by the people, it
would seem a clear case of democracy. What the exact
powers of these several parts were, and still with slight
modifications are, I will now state.
Before leading out the legions, the consuls remain at I- The con-
1 • • • All ^^^*
Rome and are supreme masters of the admmistration. All
1 M / f ii 1 L_ \
Polybms
other magistrates except the tribunes (of the plebsj are ^2.
vi.
under them and take their orders. They introduce foreign
ambassadors to the senate, bring before it matters requiring
deliberation, and see to the execution of its
decrees.
If again there are any matters of state which require ratification
by the people, it is their business to attend to these
affairs, to summon the popular meetings, to bring the proposals
before the assembly, and to carry out the decrees
of the majority.
397