ls
us, Solon introduced this custom.

X. But the people were vexed and angry, because though Brutus, whom they
thought the author of their liberty, would not be consul alone, but had
one colleague after another, yet "Valerius," they said, "has got all
power into his own hands, and is not so much the heir of the consulship
of Brutus as of the tyranny of Tarquin. And what use is it for him to
praise Brutus while he imitates Tarquin in his deeds, swaggering down
into the Forum with all the rods and axes before him, from a house
larger than the king's palace used to be." Indeed, Valerius lived in
rather too splendid a house on the Velian Hill, looking down into the
Forum, and difficult to climb up to, so that when he walked down from it
he did indeed look like a tragedy king leaving his palace. But now he
proved how valuable a thing it is for a statesman engaged in important
matters to keep his ears open to the truth, and shut against flattery.
Hearing from his friends what the people thought of him, he did not
argue or grieve at it, but suddenly assembled a number of workmen and
during the night destroyed his entire house down to the very
foundations, so that on the next day the Romans collected in crowds to
see it, admiring the magnanimity of the man, but sorrowing at the
destruction of so great and noble a house, which, like many a man, had
been put to death undeservedly, and expressing their concern for their
consul, who had no house to live in. Valerius, indeed, had to be
entertained by his friends, until the people gave him a site and built
him a house upon it, of more moderate proportions than the other, in the
place where at the present day stands the temple of Vica Pota. Wishing
to make not only himself but his office cease to be an object of terror
to his countrymen, he removed the axes from the bundles of rods carried
by the lictors, and when he entered the assembly of the people he
ordered his _fasces_ to be bowed and lowered before them, to show
respect to the majesty of the people. This custom the consuls observe to
this day. By these acts he did not really humble himself as he appeared
to the Romans to be doing, but he so completely destroyed any illwill
which had been felt against him that by giving up the semblance of power
he really gained the reality, as the people were eager to serve him and
obey him. For this reason they surnamed him _Poplicola_, which means
"lover of the people," and this name so took