The Consuls
The Consuls, before leading out the legions, remain
in Rome and are supreme masters of the
administration. All other magistrates, except
the Tribunes, are under them and take their orders. They
introduce foreign ambassadors to the Senate; bring matters
requiring deliberation before it; and see to the execution
of its decrees. If, again, there are any matters of state
which require the authorisation of the people, it is their
business to see to them, to summon the popular meetings, to
bring the proposals before them, and to carry out the decrees
of the majority. In the preparations for war also, and in a
word in the entire administration of a campaign, they have all
but absolute power. It is competent to them to impose on
the allies such levies as they think good, to appoint the
Military Tribunes, to make up the roll for soldiers and select
those that are suitable. Besides they have absolute power of
inflicting punishment on all who are under their command
while on active service: and they have authority to expend as
much of the public money as they choose, being accompanied
by a quaestor who is entirely at their orders. A survey of
these powers would in fact justify our describing the constitution as despotic,—a clear case of royal government.
Nor will it affect the truth of my description, if any of the
institutions I have described are changed in our time, or in
that of our posterity: and the same remarks apply to what
follows.
