es civitatis came suitably to be applied to the more prominent of the consulars . 2 The consulate did not merely confer power up

ed soon or disappeared. 4 Even in numbers there was a poor showing of consulars to guide public policy: only a few venerable reli

as not character and integrity only that gave Cato the primacy before consulars : he controlled a nexus of political alliances amo

nephew Brutus. 3 Cato himself had not reached the consulate, but two consulars followed, the stubborn and irascible Bibulus, and

l. 13, 28 f.: not veracious, however, for two of the alleged Pompeian consulars (‘quos civis, quos viros!’), namely M. Marcellus

9, 18, 2. The laudatory epithets here attached by Cicero to the other consulars will not mislead: too much is known about these p

killed by Romans, were Caesar’s rivals and enemies, many illustrious consulars . Ahenobarbus fought and fell at Pharsalus, and Q.

2 Many senators tried to remain neutral, including several eminent consulars , some of whom Caesar won to sympathy, if not to a

The reformer Ti. Gracchus was put up by a small group of influential consulars . 1 These prudent men soon refused further support

lar elections to much effect. 3 Deplorable in appearance, the lack of consulars , while precluding the personal rivalries that dis

rule as party-leader a personal and monarchic character. Three of the consulars , condemned in the law courts, NotesPage=>061

, received military commands in the Civil War. Among the other eleven consulars only one was an active partisan, commanding armie

ncord. So much for the principes: before long, most of the Pompeian consulars were dead, and few, indeed, of the Caesarians or

were the party in power, being the most active and influential of the consulars , youth and ambition in the lower ranks of the Sen

only senators chose Caesar, but young nobiles at that, kinsmen of the consulars who supported Pompeius and of Cato’s partisans. 2

wever, was the son of a Julia. Marriage secured the inactivity of the consulars Philippus and C. Marcellus; and the son of Philip

sor on that count. Further, Caesar brought back the three disgraced consulars , not all dubious characters. Gabinius, at least,

elements in his party and in his policy. The majority of the leading consulars was massed against him. No matter Caesar’s factio

e majority was for order and security. They were not to be blamed. Of consulars , the casualties in the Civil Wars had been heavy:

leaders in the Senate was a strong factor for concord. The surviving consulars kept quiet. The fate NotesPage=>109 1 Cf.

of his speech is difficult to estimate: but the stand made by the two consulars , though negative, irresolute and not followed by

;128 active help from them in the early months. On the surface, the consulars Philippus and Marcellus hardly reveal distinction

described as neutrals, their policy dishonest. 2 No word here of the consulars Philippus and Marcellus. Another source, though l

was all they had in common in character, career and policy the three consulars were discordant and irreconcilable. Piso, an ar

ough reluctant, to the censorship in 50 B.C., an honour to which many consulars must have aspired as due recognition of public se

rched on Rome, however, no news was heard of P. Servilius: like other consulars averse from Antonius but unwilling to commit them

, of the party of the constitution, and of the majority of the active consulars . The leaders were Pompeius and Cato. It was clear

not always been sustained with constancy. 1 Cicero might rail at the consulars : but the advocates of concord and a settlement ba

y, and the young men of the faction of Cato, the sons of the dominant consulars in the defeated oligarchy, departed with their ki

rreparable than in the ranks of the senior statesmen. Of the Pompeian consulars , an eminent but over- lauded group,2 only two wer

y years of humiliation and frustration. In this December the total of consulars had fallen to seventeen: their effective strength

e months when he clamoured for war. 4 ‘The consuls are excellent, the consulars a scandal. ’5 ‘The Senate is valiant, the consula

re excellent, the consulars a scandal. ’5 ‘The Senate is valiant, the consulars partly timid, partly disloyal. ’6 Worse than this

ed by base emotions, by envy of Cicero’s renown. 7 Of the surviving consulars three were absent from Italy, Trebonius, Lepidus

n Q. Fabius Maximus (cos. 45 B.C.), had died in office. That left six consulars of the years 48-45. 4 Phil. 8, 22. 5 Ad fam.

65 be seen in the Curia. The remaining five Cicero did not count as consulars at all: that is to say, they were Caesarians. His

c and prayed in secret. 1 The embassy set forth. It comprised three consulars Piso, Philippus and Ser. Sulpicius, a respectab

carried a motion that an embassy be sent to treat with Antonius. Five consulars were appointed to a representative commission, na

and Cn. Domitius Calvinus. The Caesarians Servilius and Calvinus were consulars already, and nobiles at that. Political compact

s for a single year and designating them a long time in advance. Of consulars and men of authority in the Senate there was a si

s duty to announce. 3 If the three dynasts be excluded, the surviving consulars now numbered twelve at the most, probably less. P

for a time unmolested. 6 Of the supposed dozen survivors among the consulars , only three claim any mention in subsequent histo

the Republic beyond the seas was represented by Pompeius, a group of consulars in alliance and the Catonian faction. 1 Now the M

cracy. 5 Among the fallen were recorded the noblest names of Rome. No consulars , it is true, for the best of the principes were a

the most experienced of the partisans of Antonius had collapsed, two consulars , the soldier Ventidius and the diplomatic Plancus

nces were the most prominent and most able members of that party, the consulars Pollio, Plancus and Ventidius. Not to mention Ahe

in the post of traditional leadership of the State, stood an array of consulars , impressive in number but not in dignity, recent

s of that order, for patronage but with a good pretext. 1 Among the consulars could be discerned one Claudius only, one Aemiliu

ed heavy casualties. P. Servilius had deserted long ago, Cato and the consulars Bibulus and Ahenobarbus were dead; so were Brutus

eians do not exhaust the list of nobles in the party of Antonius. The consulars L. Gellius Poplicola (cos. 36 B.C.), a half-broth

ary oligarchy was highly variegated. There was scarce a man among the consulars but had a Republican—or Antonian—past behind him.

to serve as legates. The Triumvirate had replenished the ranks of the consulars —there must have been now about forty men of this

the descendant of Sulla the Dictator. After 28 B.C only two of these consulars serve as legates of the Princeps in his provincia

n be found among his legates in the first dozen years, and hardly any consulars . Likewise in so far as concerns the provinces l

legates. Before long the more important of his provinces were held by consulars , who are the principal ministers of state and the

ter. There were other ways. The system broadens as it descends from consulars to senators of lower rank, to knights, freedmen a

little occupation, save a proconsulate, usually brief in tenure. The consulars became ‘senior statesmen’, decorative, quarrelsom

not as magistrates or servants of the State. Augustus controlled the consulars as well as the consuls, diverting their energies

alifying stages in the hierarchy of administration. In a sense, the consulars of the Republic might be designated as the govern

ng public concord after the assassination of Caesar the Dictator, the consulars had failed lamentably, from private ambition and

their very paucity. In December of 43 B.C. there were only seventeen consulars alive, mostly of no consequence. By the year of P

med Augustus and the Republic restored could show an imposing roll of consulars , perhaps as many as forty. For the future, the ch

old or had disappeared: a new constellation of able and distinguished consulars was available for the needs of warfare and govern

nius, who won the consulate by ‘militaris industria’, subsequently as consulars governed important provinces, one after another.

e been transferred to the legate of Moesia. 5 However that may be, no consulars can be established in this period, only praetoria

first dealt with roads (20 B.C.); 2 it was composed, however, not of consulars but of praetorians. At a later date a definite bo

ssion dates from A.D. 15 or not long after. 5 Other small groups of consulars were established from time to time, such as an Ec

strian prefect. 6 Again, appeals from the provinces were delegated to consulars . In 4 B.C. a new procedure was devised to try cer

asual or continuous employment was thus devised for a large number of consulars . An anomalous dignity remains to be mentioned, th

.107 ff. (for a text of these documents, JRS XVII (1927), 34 ff.). On consulars , each put in charge of appeals from a province, S

eals from a province, Suetonius, Divus Aug. 33, 3. For a committee of consulars on foreign affairs in A.D. 8, Dio 55, 33, 5. 8

daughter Fabia Numantina to the son of Sex. Appuleius. 4 These four consulars were perhaps not all outstanding in talent or ver

my). 2 In the three years of the rebellion of Illyricum the following consulars served under Tiberius in various capacities, name

his point Lepidus was included, but enrolled last on the list of the consulars . 5 Labeo, it is also recorded, brought to ridicul

the infertility or the ill fortune that attended upon the progeny of consulars . Their record displays the sharpest of contrasts

ruscan A. Caecina was prolific. 1 P. Silius Nerva had three sons, all consulars . 2 But his three grandsons, two consuls and a con

e of them perished with Messallina, his imperial paramour. 3 The last consulars of the names Statilius Taurus, Sentius Saturninus