by the Patricians, on
account of debt, made a secession to a mountain afterwards called _mons
sacer_, three miles from Rome, nor could they be prevailed on to return,
till they obtained from the Patricians a remission of debts for those
who were insolvent, and liberty to such as had been given up to serve
their creditors: and likewise that the Plebeians should have proper
magistrates of their own, to protect their rights, whose person should
be sacred and inviolable.

They were at first five in number, but afterwards increased to ten; they
had no external mark of dignity, except a kind of beadle, called
_viator_, who went before them.

The word _veto_, I forbid it, was at first the extent of their power;
but it afterwards increased to such a degree, that under pretence of
defending the rights of the people, they did almost whatever they
pleased. If any one hurt a tribune in word or deed, he was held
accursed, and his property confiscated.

The _ediles_ were so called from their care of the public buildings;
they were either Plebeian or _curule_; the former, two in number, were
appointed to be, as it were, the assistants of the tribunes of the
commons, and to determine certain lesser causes committed to them; the
latter, also two in number, were chosen from the Patricians and
Plebeians, to exhibit certain public games.

The _quaestors_ were officers elected by the people, to take care of the
public revenues; there were at first only two of them, but two others
were afterwards added to accompany the armies; and upon the conquest of
all Italy, four more were created, who remained in the provinces.

The principal charge of the city quaestors was the care of the treasury;
they received and expended the public money, and exacted the fines
imposed by the people: they kept the military standards, entertained
foreign ambassadors, and took charge of the funerals of those who were
buried at the public expense.

Commanders returning from war, before they could obtain a triumph, were
obliged to take an oath before the quaestors, that they had written to
the senate a true account of the number of the enemy they had slain, and
of the citizens who were missing.

The office of the provincial quaestors was to attend the consuls or
praetors into their provinces; to furnish the provisions and pay for the
army; to exact the taxes and tribute of the empire, and sell the spoils
taken in war.

The quaestorship was the first step of p