[1737] See § 5.
[1738] See chap. xi.
[1739] The practice first began in 38 B.C. (Dio Cass. xlviii. 43). Cf. Tac. Ann. xvi. 34 “Tum ad Thraseam in hortis agentem quaestor consulis missus.” They were selected by the consuls themselves (Plin. Ep. iv. 15, 8).
[1740] Dig. 1, 13, 1, 2 and 4 “sane non omnes quaestores provincias sortiebantur, verum excepti erant candidati principis ... qui ... epistulas ejus in senatu legunt.”
[1741] Tac. Ann. xi. 22 (A.D. 47) “quaestura ... velut venundaretur.”
[1742] The obligation imposed in 47 was modified in 54 A.D. (Tac. Ann. xi. 22; xiii. 5), but was renewed under Domitian (Suet. Dom. 4).
[1743] Vita Alexandri 43 “quaestores candidatos ex sua pecunia jussit munera populo dare ... arcarios vero instituit, qui de arca fisci ederent munera eademque parciora.”
[1744] The tribunate is to the younger Pliny “inanis umbra et sine honore nomen” (Ep. i 23).
[1745] Tac. Ann. i. 77 (A.D. 15, on the proposal of jus virgarum in histriones) “intercessit Haterius Agrippa tribunus plebei increpitusque est Asinii Galli oratione, silente Tiberio, qui ea simulacra libertatis senatui praebebat.”
[1746] Tac. Hist. iv. 9 (A.D. 69, on the praetors of the aerarium announcing a deficit) “cum perrogarent sententias consules, Volcatius Tertullinus tribunus plebis intercessit, ne quid super tanta re principe absente statueretur.” This is the last recorded instance of the intercessio (Momms. Staatsr. ii. p. 309 n. 1).