The Plebeians Push into Power

We jump into the year 400 BCE which has more excitement than you may have anticipated. Could this be the year we have evidence for a plebeian break-through into the important magisterial position of military tribune with consular power? Episode 153 - The Plebeians Push into Power Now, as always with this period of Rome’s early republican history, we need to keep into mind that the extant records are sketchy and we’re relying on writers living centuries in the future for their interpretation of whatever information they could scrounge together. And yet, if we look at the names that are put forward for the top job in 400 BCE, we notice some folk we’ve never heard of before - not just individuals, but extended family groups (gens), which is worth considering in more depth. You know we can’t resist a good thorny mystery when it comes to the evidence! What is the senate and how did it work? The entry of Calvus into the position of military tribune with consular power is a bit of a cat amongst the pigeons. But it might be Livy’s details about Calvus’ position as a member of the senate that makes this even more intriguing. We consider what the structure of the very early senate might have been (largely in the absence of strong evidence from the period in question). Where did the senate come from? How did it emerge as a feature of the republic? What might make sense given the senate is later understood as an advisory body? Was there a third socio-political class in the early republic? We explore some potential scenarios. Things to listen out for * Our transition into nineteenth century German scholars * The difference between segregation and what was happening in the early republic * Discussion of the abuse of power by the powerful * The character of our plebeian hero Calvus * The tribune of soldiers * The fragmentary writer Licinius Macer * Updates on the state of play in Sicily and their conflict with Carthage * Igor taking a short break???? Our Players for 400 BCE Military Tribunes with Consular Power * Publius Licinius P. f. P. n. Calvus Esquilinus (NOT a patrician?????) * Publius Manlius M. f. Cn. n. Vulso (Pat) * Lucius Titinius L. f. M’. n. Pansa Saccus (Not a patrician?????) * Publius Maelius Sp. f. C. n. Capitolinus (Not a patrician?????) * Spurius Furius L. f. Sp. n. Medullinus (Pat) * Lucius Publilius L. f. Voler. n. Philo Vulscus (Not a patrician?????) Our Sources * Dr Rad reads Livy * Dr G reads Diodorus Siculus; and Fasti Capitolini. * Bradley, G. 2020. Early Rome to 290 BC (Edinburgh University Press). Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association) * Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis) Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War(University of California Press)...