''Lex Acilia Calpurnia'' was a law established during the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

in 67 BC mandating permanent exclusion from office in cases of electoral corruption. The law was passed by Gaius Calpurnius Piso and Manius Acilius Glabrio.

Background

Cassius Dio Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

wrote that the law was directed at men convicted of bribery while seeking office and provided that they "should neither hold office nor be a senator, and should incur a fine besides." He connected this measure to the repeal of a ban on the

plebeian tribune Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune ( la, tribunus plebis) was the first office of the Roman state that was open to the plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most important check on the power of ...

s being enrolled as senators or running for public offices after their tribunate. This led to many people 'aspiring to regain the rank of senator by one means or another nda great many factions and cliques were being formed aiming at all the offices.' According to Cassius Dio, the two consuls did not dislike the practice of bribery while

canvassing Canvassing is the systematic initiation of direct contact with individuals, commonly used during political campaigns. Canvassing can be done for many reasons: political campaigning, grassroots fundraising, community awareness, membership driv ...

. Calpurnius Piso had been indicted on this charge but escaped prosecution, again, through bribery. They were forced to propose the law by the Senate. Gaius Cornelius, while he was a plebeian tribune, proposed severe penalties for bribery and this was passed by the people. The Senate realized that it was difficult to find men who would lodge accusations or who would or issue verdicts for bribery because of the severity of the penalties. It sought to moderate the penalties so as to "encourage many to accusations and not prevent condemnations." It got the consuls to frame this as a law. However, the elections had already been announced and no law could be enacted until they were held. The canvassers got up to mischief and there were even murders. The Senate decided to introduce the law before the elections and to give the consuls a

lictor A lictor (possibly from la, ligare, "to bind") was a Roman civil servant who was an attendant and bodyguard to a magistrate who held ''imperium''. Lictors are documented since the Roman Kingdom, and may have originated with the Etruscans. Orig ...

. Gaius Cornelius got angry and proposed to the assembly of the people that the senators should not be allowed to grant office to those who sought it in a way not prescribed by law, "or to usurp the people's right of decision in any other matter." The senators and Calpurnius Piso opposed this. There was a popular commotion. The lictor's

fasces Fasces ( ; ; a ''plurale tantum'', from the Latin word ''fascis'', meaning "bundle"; it, fascio littorio) is a bound bundle of wooden rods, sometimes including an axe (occasionally two axes) with its blade emerging. The fasces is an Italian symbo ...

were broken and Piso was threatened. To avoid violence Cornelius dismissed the assembly without calling for a vote. He then added a provision to the law that the Senate should issue a preliminary decree on these matters and that the decree had to be ratified by the people. After this the law was passed.Cassius Dio, Roman History, 36.38-40.1

References

External links

The Roman Law Library, incl. ''Leges''
{{Italic title 67 BC 1st century BC in law Roman law 1st century BC in the Roman Republic

Background

See also

References

External links