cal assemblies of the state, ranking with
those of the Centuries and the Curies. But the Patricians still retained
exclusive possession of the administrative and judicial powers, and
there were no written laws to limit their authority and to regulate
their decisions. Under these circumstances, the Tribune C. Terentilius
Arsa proposed, in B.C. 462, that a commission of Ten Men (Decemviri)
should be appointed to draw up a code of laws, by which a check might be
put to the arbitrary power of the Patrician magistrates. This
proposition, as might have been expected, met with the most vehement
opposition from the Patricians. But the Plebeians were firm, and for
five successive years the same Tribunes were re-elected. It was during
this struggle that an attempt was made upon the Capitol by Herdonius, a
Sabine chief, with a band of outlaws and slaves. It was a turbulent
period, and the Patricians had recourse even to assassination. At
length, after a struggle of eight years, a compromise was effected, and
it was arranged that Three Commissioners (Triumviri) were to be sent
into Greece to collect information respecting the laws of Solon at
Athens, as well as of the other Greek states. After an absence of two
years the three commissioners returned to Rome (B.C. 452), and it was
now resolved that a Council of Ten, or Decemvirs, should be appointed to
draw up a code of laws, and, at the same time, to carry on the
government and administer justice. All the other magistrates were
obliged to abdicate, and no exception was made even in favor of the
Tribunes. The Decemvirs were thus intrusted with supreme power in the
state. They entered upon their office at the beginning of B.C. 451. They
were all Patricians. At their head stood Appius Claudius and T.
Genucius, who had been already appointed consuls for the year. They
discharged the duties of their office with diligence, and dispensed
justice with impartiality. Each administered the government day by day
in succession, and the fasces were carried only before the one who
presided for the day. They drew up a Code of Ten Tables, in which equal
justice was dealt out to both orders. The Ten Tables received the
sanction of the Comitia of the Centuries, and thus became law.

On the expiration of their year of office all parties were so well
satisfied with the manner in which the Decemvirs had discharged their
duties that it was resolved to continue the same form of government for
another year