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STUDIESINROMANGOVERNMENTANDSOCIETY
planstoresistthepatricians;buttheonlywaywasthis:that
theplebsshouldundertaketheirowndefence,sincetheyhad
nooneelsetohelpthem.Twenty-fourlictorswerealltheret-
inueoftheconsuls,andeventhesewereplebeians.Nothingwas
morecontemptibleorweaker,iftherewereanytocontemn;
itwaseveryman)sownimaginationthatmadethemgreatand
awe-inspiring.Teyhadincitedoneanotherwithargumentsof
thissortwhentheconsulssentalictortoarrestVoleroPublil-
ius,aplebeian,who,onthegroundthathehadbeenacentu-
rion,deniedtheirrighttomakehimacommonsoldier.Volero
calleduponthetribunes.Whennoonecametoaidhim,thecon-
sulsgaveorderstostripthemanandgetouttherods.(Iappeal,)
criedVolero,(tothepeople,sincethetribuneswouldrathera
Romancitizenshouldbescourgedwithrodsbeforetheireyes
thanthemselvesbemurderedintheirbedsbyyou.
)Butthemore
boldlyheshoutedthemoreroughlythelictorfelltotearingof
hisclothesandstrippinghim.TenVolero,whowashimselfa
powerfulmanandwashelpedbythosehehadcalledtohisas-
sistance,beatofthelictorand,choosingtheplacewherethe
uproarofhissympathiserswastheangriest,plungedintothe
thickofthecrowd,callingout,(Iappeal,andimplorethepro-
tectionofthetheplebs;help,citizens!help,fellow-soldiers!Itis
uselessforyoutowaitforthetribunes,whothemselvesstandin
needofaidfromyou.
)Intheirexcitementmenmadereadyasif
tofightabattle,anditwasevidentthatanythingmighthappen,
thatnobodywouldrespectanyright,whetherpublicorprivate.
Teconsuls,exposedtothisfurioustempest,werequicklycon-
vincedoftheinsecurityofmajestywhenunaccompaniedwith
force.Telictorswereroughlyhandledandtheirrodswerebro-
ken,whiletheconsulsthemselvesweredrivenoutoftheForum
intotheCuria,withnomeansofknowinghowfarVoleromight
usehisvictory.
Aformalbasisofthemagistrates)poweroverindividualcitizens
wasiuscoërcitionis,thatistherightofapplyingmeasuresofdirect
coercion,whichwasaimedatforcingpeopletoobey,obviously
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