LĬCĬNIAE, proposed by C. Licinius, who was tribune of the people
from B.C. 376 to 367, and who brought the contest between the
patricians and plebeians to a happy termination. He was supported
in his exertions by his colleague L. Sextius. The laws which he
proposed were: 1. That in future no more consular tribunes should
be appointed, but that consuls should be elected as in former
times, one of whom should always be a plebeian. 2. That no one
should possess more than 500 jugera of the public land, nor keep
upon it more than 100 head of large, or 500 of small cattle. It
is related that Licinius was accused and condemned for violating
his own law. Livy states that Licinius, together with his son,
held 1000 jugera of the public land, and by emancipating his son
had acted in fraud of the law. The son thus possessed 500 jugera
in his own name, while his father had the actual enjoyment. 3.
A law regulating the affairs between debtor and creditor, which
ordained that the interest already paid for borrowed money should
be deducted from the capital, and that the remainder of the
latter should be paid back in three yearly instalments. 4. That
the Sibylline books should be entrusted to a college of ten men
(_decemviri_), half of whom should be plebeians, in order that no
falsifications might be introduced in favour of the patricians.
These rogations were passed after a most vehement opposition on the
part of the patricians, and L. Sextius was the first plebeian who,
in accordance with the first of them, obtained the consulship for
the year B.C. 366.
LĬCĬNIA, also called MANLĬA, B.C. 196, created the triumviri
epulones.
LĪVĬAE, various enactments proposed by the tribune M. Livius
Drusus, B.C. 91, for establishing colonies in Italy and Sicily,
distributing corn among the poor citizens at a low rate, and
admitting the foederatae civitates to the Roman civitas. He is also
said to have been the mover of a law for adulterating silver by
mixing with it an eighth part of brass. Drusus was assassinated,
and the senate declared that all his laws were passed _contra
auspicia_, and were therefore not leges.
LUTĀTIA DE VI, proposed by the consul Q. Lutatius Catulus, with the
assistance of Plautius the tribune: usually called Lex Plautia or
Plotia. [VIS.]
MAENĬA LEX, is only mentioned by Cicero, who says that M. Curius
compelled the patres _ante auctores fieri_ in the case of the
election of a plebeian consul, “which,” adds Cicero, “was a great
thing to accomplish, as the Lex Maenia was not yet passed.” The lex
therefore required the patres to give their consent at least to the
election of a magistratus, or, in other words, to confer or agree
to confer the imperium on the person whom the comitia should elect.
It was probably proposed by the tribune Maenius B.C. 287.