bribery, Plutarch's remark is
unintelligible: the text is corrupt, or he has made a mistake.]

[Footnote 56: The higher magistrates of Rome, the curule aediles,
praetors, consuls, censors, and dictator had a chair of office called a
Sella Curulis, or Curule seat, which Plutarch correctly describes as a
chair with curved feet (See the cut in Smith's _Dictionary of
Antiquities_, "Sella Curulis"). The name Curule is derived from
Currus, a chariot, as the old writers say, and as is proved by the
expression Curulis Triumphus, a Curule Triumph, which is opposed to an
Ovatio, in which the triumphing general went on foot in the
procession.

The Plebeian AEdiles were first elected B.C. 494, at the same time as
the Plebeian tribunes. They had various functions, such as the general
superintendence of buildings, the supply of water, the care of the
streets and pavements, and other like matters. Their duties mainly
belonged to the department of police, under which was included the
superintendence of the markets, and of buying and selling. The
Plebeian AEdiles were originally two in number.

The Curule AEdiles were first elected B.C. 365 and only from the
Patricians, but afterwards the office was accessible to the Plebeians.
The functions of the Plebeian AEdiles seem to have been performed by
all the AEdiles indifferently after B.C. 368, though the Curule AEdiles
alone had the power of making Edicts (edicta), which power was founded
on their general superintendence of all buying and selling, and many
of their rules had reference to the buying and selling of slaves
(_Dig._ 21, tit. 1). The Curule AEdiles only had the superintendence of
some of the greater festivals, on which occasions they went to great
expense to gratify the people and buy popularity as a means of further
promotion. (See Sulla, c. 5.)]

[Footnote 57: At this time there were six Praetors. The Praetor Urbanus
or City Praetor was sometimes simply called Praetor and had the chief
administration of justice in Rome. The Praetor Peregrinus also resided
in Rome and had the superintendence in matters in dispute between
Roman citizens and aliens (peregrini). The other Praetors had provinces
allotted to them to administer; and after the expiration of their year
of office, the praetors generally received the administration of a
Province with the title of Propraetor. It appears (c. 5) that Marius
either stayed at Rome during his praetorship or had some Province in
Italy. As