Servian constitution
Politics of ancient Rome |
---|
Periods |
|
Constitution |
Political institutions |
Assemblies |
|
Ordinary magistrates |
Extraordinary magistrates |
Public law |
Senatus consultum ultimum |
Titles and honours |
The Servian constitution was one of the earliest forms of military and political organization used during
The Servian constitution is traditionally attributed to the sixth
Rome's military and territorial expansion and the consequent changes in its population made franchise regulation and reform an ongoing necessity. By entrusting the military defense of the state to all citizens, the Servian reform created interdependency among the social classes. In its organization of
Curiate reform and census
Until the Servian reforms, the passing of laws and judgment was the prerogative of the
Roman tradition held that Servius formed a
The institution of the census and the comitia centuriata are speculated as Servius' attempt to erode the civil and military power of the Roman aristocracy, and seek the direct support of his newly enfranchised citizenry in civil matters; if necessary, under arms.[9] The comitia curiata continued to function through the Regal and Republican eras, but the Servian reform had reduced its powers to those of a largely symbolic "upper house" whose noble members were expected to do no more than ratify decisions of the comitia centuriata.[10]
Classes and army
The census classified Rome's male citizen population according to status, wealth and age. The classes were subdivided into groups called centuriae (centuries), nominally of 100 men (Latin centum = 100) but in practice of variable number,
The centuriate classes were as follows:[17]
- 1st class, with 100,000 in asses, infantry self-equipped with helmet, breastplate, greaves, round shield, spear and sword, comprising 40 centuries of seniores, and 40 of iuniores.
- 2nd class, with 75,000 in asses, infantry self-equipped with helmet, greaves, oblong shield, spear and sword, comprising 10 centuries of seniores and 10 of iuniores.
- 3rd class: 50,000 in asses, infantry self-equipped with helmet, oblong shield, spear and sword, comprising 10 centuries of seniores and 10 of iuniores.
- 4th class: 25,000 in asses, infantry self-equipped with oblong shield, spear, javelin, and sword[18] comprising 10 centuries of seniores and 10 of iuniores.
- 5th class: 11,000 asses (12,500 in Dionysius), infantry self-equipped with sling and sling-stones (and javelin, in Dionysius), comprising 15 centuries of seniores and 15 of iuniores.
- Supernumaries: Proletarii (Capite censi, poor citizens, with no estate), 1 century. Military specialists: Equites(cavalry); 18 centuries (6 seniores, 12 iuniores). Engineers; 2 centuries. Musicians; 2 centuries.
Cornell suggests that the voting order of the equites (after infantry of the first class) reflects their subordination to the relatively low-status infantry in the centuriate system, but takes the view that equites in the archaic period "consisted mainly, if not exclusively, of patricians".[19] Rosenstein distinguishes the "smaller, select group of 1,800 whose horses were furnished at public expense (equites equo publico)" from the majority of equites, who were wealthy enough to maintain and equip their own horse (equites equis suis).[20]
The Servian reforms established both the Roman army's centuria system and its order of battle; men picked from civilian centuriae were slipped into military ones, and each battle line in the
New tribal division and expansion of the city
The reformation of the tribal divisions increased the city's sacred boundary (the
See also
References
- ^ Forsythe, "The Army and Centuriate Organization," p. 26.
- ^ Gary Forsythe, "The Army and Centuriate Organization in Early Rome," in A Companion to the Roman Army (Blackwell, 2011), p. 24.
- ^ Tim Cornell, The beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000 – 264 BC), Routledge, 1995, pp. 144 - 147, 173 -175, 183 for military character of reforms, especially in census.
- ^ Michael S. Drake, Problematics of Military Power: Government, Discipline and the Subject of Violence (Frank Cass, 2002), pp. 22–23.
- ^ Drake, Problematics of Military Power, p. 39.
- ^ Léon Homo, Roman Political Institutions From City to State (Routledge, 2005, originally published 1929), p. 18.
- ^ Cornell, pp. 115 - 118.
- ^ Census derives from Latin censere, "to judge" or "to estimate".
- ^ Cornell, pp. 194 - 197.
- ^ Cornell, p. 25.
- ^ The Servian "centuries" are therefore held to mean "groups".
- sesterce or denariusof later coinage.
- OCLC 760889060.
- OCLC 760889060.
- ^ Cornell, pp.186 - 190, 194 - 196.
- OCLC 760889060.
- ^ List derived from Cornell, p. 179, who is citing Livy, 1.43, and Dionysius of Halicarnassus IV, 16 - 18. Descriptions of the armour and arms to be supplied by members of each class are almost certainly learned, speculative introjections by Livy and Dionysius.
- ^ The oblong shield and sword are only in Dionysius' version
- ^ Cornell, p. 196.
- ^ Nathan Rosenstein, "Military Command, Political Power", in A Companion to the Roman Army (Blackwell, 2011), p. 136.
- ISBN 978-0-300-11979-4, p. 182: The Greek-style phalanx was known to the Romans of the Regal era, and their best fighting men were armed identically to early Greek hoplites.
- ^ John Rich, "Warfare and the Army in Early Rome", in A Companion to the Roman Army (Blackwell, 2011), p. 19.
- Ab urbe condita, 1. 44. The named regions are in Varro, Lingua Latina, 5. 45. Modern analysis of the so-called "Servian Wall" remains suggest a construction some time after his reign; a contemporary defense of ditch, earthen embankment and moat are thought likely. See Gary Forsythe, "The Army and Centuriate Organization in Early Rome," in A Companion to the Roman Army (Blackwell, 2011), p. 30.
- ^ Discussion in Cornell, pp. 176 - 179.
- ^ Cornell, p. 173.
- OCLC 760889060.