The Voting Districts of the Roman Republic: The Thirty-five Urban and Rural Tribes (Papers And Monographs Of The American Academy In Rome)

Fundamental to an understanding of the Roman Republic is comprehension of the tribal system employed to organize citizens. Used first for the census, raising an army, and tax collection, tribes later became voting districts for the election of magistrates. Voting districts were distributed geographically in and around the city of Rome and eventually throughout the Italian countryside, and they have been studied through evidence largely textual and epigraphical. In this volume, first published in 1960, evidence is adduced to locate and describe the tribes' locations. In his major new update, Lily Ross Taylor's disciple and scholarly follower Jerzy Linderski brings forward new evidence resolving earlier cruces, updates the lengthy bibliography on voting districts, and situates this invaluable work in its historical perspective. The character of the thirty-five tribes -- The role of people and censors in the assignment of tribes -- The problem, the sources, and modern discussions -- The location of the seventeen oldest rural tribes -- The fourteen rural tribes instituted from 387 to 241 -- The official order of the urban and rural tribes -- Extension and divisions of the rural tribes before the social war -- Distribution of Italians in rural tribes after the social war -- The tribes from Sulla to Caesar : the Transpadani -- The urban tribes and the registration of the freedmen -- Summary : list of Italian communities with tribes -- The sources for the tribes of senators -- List of republican senators with tribes -- List by tribes of republican senatorial gentes and Italian communities -- Analysis of the lists of senators and tribes -- Senators and voting districts.