Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
STUDIESINROMANGOVERNMENTANDSOCIETY
TepartisansofCinnatookpossessionoftheforumwithcon-
cealeddaggers,andwithloudcriesdemandedthattheyshould
bedistributedamongallthetribes.Temorereputablepartof
theplebeiansadheredtoOctavius,andtheyalsocarrieddaggers.
WhileOctaviuswasstillathomeawaitingtheresult,thenews
wasbroughttohimthatthemajorityofthetribuneshadvetoed
theproposedaction,butthatthenewcitizenshadstartedariot,
drawntheirdaggersonthestreet,andassaultedtheopposing
tribunesontherostra.WhenOctaviusheardthisherandown
throughtheViaSacrawithaverydensemassofmen,burstinto
theforumlikeatorrent,pushedthroughthemidstofthecrowd,
andseparatedthem.Hestruckterrorintothem,wentontothe
templeofCastorandPollux,anddroveCinnaaway;whilehis
companionsfelluponthenewcitizenswithoutorders,killed
manyofthem,puttheresttoflight,andpursuedthemtothe
citygates.
Examplesofsimilaractionscanbemultiplied.Tesametroops
werealsousedbyCicerobothduringtheconsularelectionsfor63
B.C.andlater,especiallywhiledealingwithCatiline)splot.,;Inthe
speechagainstPubliusSestius,however,Cicerodidnothesitateto
accusehimjamongotherthingsjnamelyofusingthepraesidia
andtherebystrivingtoimplementadictatorship.,9Similarly,dur-
ingthelawsuitagainstP.ClodiusPulcherprivatepersonswereem-
ployednottoletthebriberyofjudgeshappen.;0
Coniuratioandevocatioannouncedbythesenatewereanother
solutionappliedduringtheplebeianriots.Tisconsistedinafic-
titiousmobilizationofallRomanpeopleinthefaceofathreat
andmostoftenwasconnectedwiththesenatepassingthesenatus
consultumultimum.;1Teoretically,thissolutiondiferedfromthe
(1988)94-107.
3-4.
18
