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The Servian constitution is the military and political organization of ancient Rome attributed by Roman tradition to the semi-legendary sixth king of Rome, Servius Tullius (578–534 BC).〔Gary Forsythe, "The Army and Centuriate Organization in Early Rome," in ''A Companion to the Roman Army'' (Blackwell, 2011), p. 24.〕 Most of the Servian reforms extended voting rights to certain groups, in particular to Rome's citizen-commoners who were minor landholders or landless citizens hitherto disqualified from voting by ancestry, status or ethnicity—collectively, the ''plebs'' as distinguished from the hereditary patricians. These reforms thus redefined the fiscal and military obligations of all Roman citizens. The so-called Servian constitution probably represents a long-drawn, complex and piecemeal process extending from Servius' predecessors, Ancus Marcius and Tarquinius Priscus, to his successor Tarquinius Superbus, and into the Middle and Late Republic. Rome's military and territorial expansion and the consequent changes in its population made franchise regulation and reform an ongoing necessity. The wholesale attribution of these measures to Servius "cannot be taken at face value".〔Tim Cornell, ''The beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000 – 264 BC)'', Routledge, 1995, pp. 144 - 147, 173 -175, 183 for military character of reforms, especially in census.〕 The Servian constitution introduced two elements into the Roman system of government: a census of every male citizen, to establish his wealth, tax liabilities, military obligation, and the weight of his vote; and the ''comitia centuriata'', an assembly with electoral, legislative and judicial powers. Both institutions are foundational for Roman republicanism.〔Forsythe, "The Army and Centuriate Organization," p. 26.〕 By entrusting the military defense of the state to all citizens, the Servian reform created interdependency among the social classes; in its organization of voting tribes, it inextricably allied political and military life and opened up a "political space" for republican participation.〔Michael S. Drake, ''Problematics of Military Power: Government, Discipline and the Subject of Violence'' (Frank Cass, 2002), pp. 22–23.〕 To the Augustan historian Livy, the military service rendered by plebeians was thus a form of public service on a par with patrician duty in the Senate.〔Drake, ''Problematics of Military Power,'' p. 39.〕 Even so, census rank depended on property value, and under the Servian constitution no citizen assessed at a worth of less than 11,000 ''asses'' (or 12,500, depending on the source) was admitted to the regular army.〔Léon Homo, ''Roman Political Institutions From City to State'' (Routledge, 2005, originally published 1929), p. 18.〕 ==Curiate reform and census== Until the Servian reforms, the passing of laws and judgment was the prerogative of the ''comitia curiata'' (curiate assembly), made up from thirty curiae; Roman sources describe ten curiae for each of the three aristocratic tribes, the Ramnes, the Tities, and the Luceres, each claiming patrician status and privilege to election as magistrates by virtue of their descent from Rome's founding families. These tribes, supposedly based on three of Rome's hills, comprised approximately 200 ''gentes'' (clans), each of which contributed one senator ("elder") to the Senate. The senate advised the king, devised laws in his name, and was held to represent the entire ''populus Romanus'' (Roman people); but it could only debate and discuss. Its decisions had no force unless approved by the ''comitia curiata''. By the time of Servius, if not long before, the tribes of the ''comitia'' were a minority of the population. Rome's far more populous citizen-commoners (plebeians) could participate in this assembly in limited fashion, and perhaps offer their opinions on decisions but only the ''comitia curiata'' could vote. An aristocratic minority thus exercised power and control over the commoner majority.〔Cornell, pp. 115 - 118.〕 Roman tradition held that Servius formed a comitia centuriata of commoners, elected by the citizens as a whole, to augment or displace the ''comitia curiata'' as Rome's central legislative body. This required his development of the first Roman census, making Servius the first Roman censor.〔Census derives from Latin ''censere'', "to judge" or "to estimate".〕 The census was organised on military lines; citizens assembled by tribe in the Campus Martius, to register their social rank, household, property and income. This established an individual's tax obligations; his capacity to muster arms at his own expense, when required to do so by the citizen's obligation to give military service; and his assignment to a particular voting bloc in elections and law-making. The institution of the census and the ''comitia centuriata'' are speculated as Servius' attempt to erode the civil and military power of the Roman aristocracy, and seek the direct support of his newly enfranchised citizenry in civil matters; if necessary, under arms.〔Cornell, pp. 194 - 197.〕 The ''comitia curiata'' continued to function through the Regal and Republican eras, but the Servian reform had reduced its powers to those of a largely symbolic "upper house" whose noble members were expected to do no more than ratify decisions of the ''comitia centuriata''.〔Cornell, p. 25.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Servian constitution」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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