THE second epoch of Roman history, that is from the year 500 B.C. until the time of the conflict with Carthage about 250 B.C. was a period of remarkable interest for Rome itself and her citizens generally.
After the banishment of Tarquinius Superbus, as mentioned in our former article, the people resolved to have no more kings, and established a Republic and elected one from among themselves as Dictator. He was only appointed for one year, and very soon they became afraid that this official might assume too much power, and so they chose two officers called Praetors (or leaders). These men were eventually called Consuls (or deliberators). The first two thus elected were L. Brutus and P. Valerius. The latter was known as Publicola or “The People’s Friend,” because he had a law passed that every Roman citizen when condemned by a magistrate should have a right of appeal, and we know in after years how the Apostle Paul and others availed themselves of this high privilege. No matter where a Roman citizen might be, he always afterwards was able to exercise this right to appeal unto Caesar or to the Roman people, if he desired to do so. About this time, too, Tarquinius endeavored to recover his throne, and the exciting incidents that occurred are graphically described by Macaulay in his celebrated lay, telling
“How well Horatius kept the bridge
In the brave days of old.”
Lars Porsena, the great leader of the Etruscans, approached the city at the head of an enormous army, and would have entered had not Horatius and his heroic companions kept the invaders at bay while the bridge was broken down. Although the Etruscans were after a siege successful in obtaining possession of the Janiculum, and other parts of the city, they soon were obliged to retire, and when not long afterwards they were defeated at the battle of Lake Regillus the security of Rome became far more firmly established.
Before long, however, the different classes came into conflict. The Patrician element had always striven to tyrannize over the Plebeians, until once after a campaign against the Volscians, the common people in a body refused to remain in Rome and left the city to the care of the Patricians. They were, of course, alarmed at the possibility of having to do all the ordinary labor themselves, and so they sent an old man named Menenius Agrippa to reason with them. He told them a singular fable which has been handed down in history, and it so went home to their hearts that, upon the understanding that they might have officers or tribunes of their own, and that more liberal treatment should be accorded to them, they came back, and several new laws were at once passed. One was that all existing debts should be cancelled, and all debtors be given liberty. Then the people demanded an interest in the land, and the first agrarian law was passed which gave a portion of the public land as the inalienable right of the people. Strange to say, Spurius Cassius, through whom this famous law came into existence, was one of the foremost leaders of the Patrician party. The Plebeians also insisted that two of their number should be represented on the tribunal that settled these affairs, and it is remarkable that, in the light of councils and such regulations now, these men then had also the charge of the public buildings, and the roads and streets, and also arrangements for the safety of the city. This, for such an early era, is surely like the beginnings of county and borough councils, but at any rate it was tending to secure the better government of this gradually expanding kingdom.