prive
the Military Tribunes of some of the most important functions, which had
been formerly discharged by the Consuls. The Censors originally held
office for a period of five years, which was called a _lustrum_; but
their tenure was limited to eighteen months, as early as ten years after
its institution (B.C. 443), by a law of the Dictator Mamercus AEmilius,
though they continued to be appointed only once in five years.[18]

Though the Military Tribunes could from their first institution be
chosen from either order, yet such was the influence of the Patricians
in the Comitia of the Centuries that it was not till B.C. 400, or nearly
forty years afterward, that any Plebeians were actually elected. In B.C.
421 the Quaestorship was also thrown open to them. The Quaestors were the
paymasters of the state; and as the Censors had to fill up vacancies in
the Senate from those who had held the office of Quaestor, the Plebeians
thus became eligible for the Senate.

During these struggles between the two orders an event took place which
is frequently referred to by later writers. In the year 440 B.C. there
was a great famine at Rome. Sp. Maelius, one of the richest of the
Plebeian knights, expended his fortune in buying up corn, which he sold
to the poor at a small price, or distributed among them gratuitously.
The Patricians thought, or pretended to think, that he was aiming at
kingly power: and in the following year (439) the aged Quintius
Cincinnatus, who had saved the Roman army on Mount Algidus, was
appointed Dictator. He nominated C. Servilius Ahala his Master of the
Horse. During the night the Capitol and all the strong posts were
garrisoned by the Patricians, and in the morning Cincinnatus appeared in
the forum with a strong force, and summoned Maelius to appear before his
tribunal. But seeing the fate which awaited him, he refused to go,
whereupon Ahala rushed into the crowd and struck him dead upon the spot.
His property was confiscated, and his house was leveled to the ground.
The deed of Ahala is frequently mentioned by Cicero and other writers in
terms of the highest admiration, but it was regarded by the Plebeians at
the time as an act of murder. Ahala was brought to trial, and only
escaped condemnation by a voluntary exile.

In their foreign wars the Romans continued to be successful, and, aided
by their allies the Latins and Hernicans, they made steady progress in
driving back their old enemies the Volscians and