ote: FRAG. 16^5] THROUGH THESE WORDS THE POPULACE WAS MADE TO
COMPREHEND THAT THE ABUNDANCE OF THE PROSPEROUS TENDS ALSO TO THE
ADVANTAGE OF THE POOR, AND THAT EVEN THOUGH THE FORMER BE ADVANTAGED
BY THEIR LOANS AND SO INCREASE THEIR ABUNDANCE, THE OUTCOME OF THIS IS
NOT HURTFUL TO THE INTERESTS OF THE MANY; SINCE, IF IT WERE NOT FOR
THE WEALTHY OWNING PROPERTY, THE POOR WOULD NOT HAVE IN TIMES OF NEED
PERSONS TO LEND TO THEM AND WOULD PERISH UNDER THE PRESSURE OF WANT.
ACCORDINGLY THEY BECAME MILDER AND REACHED AN AGREEMENT, THE SENATE
FOR ITS PART VOTING A REDUCTION IN THEIR DEBTS AND A RELEASE FROM
SEIZURE OF PROPERTY.

VII, 15.--They feared, however, that when their society had been
disbanded they might either find the agreements not effectual or might
[Sidenote: FRAG. 16^6] BE HARMED ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR SEPARATION, ONE
BEING PUNISHED ON ONE PRETEXT, ANOTHER ON ANOTHER, in constant
succession. So they formed a compact to lend aid to one another in
case any one of them should be wronged in any particular; and they
took oaths to this effect and forthwith elected two representatives
from their own number (and afterward still more) in order that by such
a partnership arrangement they might have assistants and avengers. And
this they did not only once, but the idea now conceived in this form
kept growing, and they appointed their representatives for a year, as
to some office. The men were called in the tongue of the Latins
_tribunes_ (the commanders of thousands are also so named) but are
styled _demarchoi_ in the Greek language. In order that the titles of
the tribuni might be kept distinct they added to the name of the one
class the phrase "of the soldiers" and to that of the other class the
phrase "of the people." These _tribunes of the people_, then, or
_demarchoi_ became responsible for great evils that befell Rome. For
though they did not immediately secure the title of magistrates, they
gained power beyond all the rest, defending every one that begged
protection and rescuing every one that called upon them not only from
private persons, but from the very magistrates, except the dictators.
If any one ever invoked them when absent, he, too, was released from
the person holding him prisoner and was either brought before the
populace by them or was set free. And if ever they saw fit that
anything should not be done, they prevented it, whether the person
acting were a private citizen or an official: and if the people o