[1307] Gell. iv. 10, 8 “Erat ... jus senatori ut sententiam rogatus diceret ante quicquid vellet aliae rei et quoad vellet.” For this practice of egredi relationem see Tac. Ann. ii. 33.
[1308] “Delenda est Carthago” (Florus ii. 15); cf. App. Lib. 69.
[1309] An attempt to violate this order was made in 56 B.C., “cum Lupus tribunus pl.... intendere coepit ante se oportere discessionem facere quam consules. Ejus orationi vehementer ab omnibus reclamatum est; erat enim et iniqua et nova” (Cic. ad Fam. i. 2, 2).
[1310] The consul Marcellus thus dismissed the Senate in 50 B.C. on its favouring the proposal that both Pompeius and Caesar should lay down their commands (App. B.C. ii. 30).
[1311] Gell. iv. 10, 8.
[1312] ib. l.c.; Suet. Caes. 20.
[1313] Gell. xiv. 7, 9 (from the Commentarius of Varro) “singulos autem debere consuli gradatim incipique a consulari gradu. Ex quo gradu semper quidem antea primum rogari solitum qui princeps in senatum lectus esset; tum autem, cum haec scriberet, novum morem institutum refert per ambitionem gratiamque ut is primus rogaretur quem rogare vellet qui haberet senatum, dum is tamen ex gradu consulari esset.” For this novus mos cf. Cic. ad Att. i. 13, 2 (61 B.C.) “Primum igitur scito primum me non esse rogatum sententiam praepositumque esse nobis pacificatorem Allobrogum” (C. Calpurnius Piso, a relative of the presiding consul).
[1314] Sall. Cat. 50 (in the debate on the Catilinarian conspirators) “D. Junius Silanus primus sententiam rogatus quod eo tempore consul designatus erat.”
[1315] Festus p. 210 “(Pedarius senator) ita appellator quia tacitus transeundo ad eum, cujus sententiam probat, quid sentiat indicat.” Cf. Gell. iii. 18. The explanation cited by Festus is true only so far as it expresses a usual circumstance of debate. The name pedarius is probably derived from the absence of the curule chair (Gavius Bassus ap. Gell. l.c.).
[1316] Vell. ii. 35 “Hic tribunus plebis designatus ... paene inter ultimos interrogatus sententiam”; Cic. ad Att. xii. 21, 1 “Cur ergo in sententiam Catonis? Quia verbis luculentioribus et pluribus rem eandem (i.e. the opinion already expressed by consulares) comprehenderat.”