ugustus's time they rose to 200,000.
There seems, however, to be some confusion as to the numbers. From the
_Ancyranum Monumentum_ it appears that the _plebs urbana_ who received
Augustus's dole of 60 _denarii_ (37s. 6d.) in his eighth consulship
numbered 320,000. And (Suet. _Caes._ 41) it seems likely that in
Caesar's time the lists of the recipients were settled by lot;
further, probably only those whose property was worth less than
400,000 _sesterces_ (L3541) were placed on the lists. It is probable,
therefore, that 320,000 represents a maximum, reduced for purposes of
administration to a smaller number (a) by a property test, and (b) by
some kind of scrutiny. The names of those certified to receive the
corn were exposed on bronze tablets. They were then called _aerarii_.
They had tickets (_tesserae_) for purposes of identification, and they
received the corn or bread in the time of the republic at the temple
of Ceres, and afterwards at steps in the several (14) regions or wards
of Rome. Hence the bread was called _panis gradilis_. In the middle of
the 2nd century there were state bakeries, and wheaten loaves were
baked for the people perhaps two or three times a week. In Aurelian's
time (A.D. 270) the flour was of the best, and the weight of the loaf
(one _uncia_) was doubled. To the gifts of bread were added pork, oil
and possibly wine; clothes also--white tunics with long sleeves--were
distributed. In the period after Constantine (cf. _Theod. Code_, xiv.
15) three classes received the bread--the palace people (_palatini_),
soldiers (_militares_), and the populace (_populares_). No
distribution was permitted except at the steps. Each class had its own
steps in the several wards. The bread at one step could not be
transferred to another step. Each class had its own supply. There were
arrangements for the exchange of stale loaves. Against
misappropriation there were (law of Valentinian and Valens) severe
penalties. If a public prosecutor (_actor_), a collector of the
revenue (_procurator_), or the slave of a senator obtained bread with
the cognizance of the clerk, or by bribery, the slave, if his master
was not a party to the offence, had to serve in the state bakehouse in
chains. If the master were involved, his house was confiscated. If
others who had not the right obtained the bread, they and their
property were placed at the service of the bakery