Tribune facts for kids

For other uses, see Tribune (disambiguation).

A Tribune (pronounced TRI-byoon) was an important title for different elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important types were the tribunes of the plebs (common people) and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a group of ten tribunes of the plebs helped control the power of the Senate and the yearly leaders, called magistrates. They had a special power called ius intercessionis (meaning "right of intervention"). This allowed them to step in to help the plebeians and even stop laws they didn't like.

There were also military tribunes. These officials commanded parts of the Roman army. They reported to higher leaders like the consuls and praetors. Other officers in the Roman army were also called tribunes. This title was used for several other roles throughout Roman history too.

What Does "Tribune" Mean?
King's Bodyguard: Tribune of the Celeres
Protecting the People: Tribune of the Plebs
Leading Soldiers: Military Tribunes
A Compromise: Consular Tribunes
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See also

What Does "Tribune" Mean?

The word tribune comes from the Roman tribes. These were like different groups of people in early Rome. The first three tribes each had a tribune. This tribune was their leader for everyday life, religious matters, and even military issues. Later, other tribes also had their own tribunes.

King's Bodyguard: Tribune of the Celeres

During the time of the Roman Kingdom, there was a special tribune called the tribunus celerum. This means "tribune of the celeres" or "tribune of the knights." This person was the commander of the king's personal bodyguards, known as the celeres.

This official was very powerful, second only to the king himself. They could even make laws, called lex tribunicia. They also led the comitia curiata, which was an assembly of the people. If the king didn't lead the cavalry (horseback soldiers) into battle, the tribune of the celeres would. In theory, this tribune could even take away the king's power to command if the comitia curiata agreed.

The last Roman king, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, had a nephew named Lucius Junius Brutus who held this job. Brutus was the one who called the assembly and asked them to remove the king's power. After the kings were gone, the tribune of the celeres' powers were split. They went to the Magister Militum (Master of the Infantry) and their assistant, the magister equitum (Master of the Horse).

Protecting the People: Tribune of the Plebs

The tribuni plebis, or tribunes of the plebs, were created in 494 BC. This happened after the common people (plebeians) left Rome in protest, in an event called the first secession. Their job was to protect the plebeians' interests. They stood up against the actions of the Senate and the yearly leaders, who were all from the wealthy patrician families.

At first, there might have been two or five tribunes. By 457 BC, their number grew to ten, and it stayed that way for most of Roman history. They also had two assistants called aediles plebis. Only plebeians could hold these jobs, though there were a couple of rare exceptions.

These tribunes could call the concilium plebis, which was the plebeian assembly. They could also suggest new laws there. Only one tribune could lead this assembly. The laws passed by this assembly, called plebiscita, only affected plebeians at first. But after 287 BC, these laws applied to all Roman citizens! By the 3rd century BC, tribunes could also call and propose laws to the Senate.

Even though they were sometimes called "plebeian magistrates," tribunes of the plebs weren't technically magistrates. This is because only the plebeians elected them, not all Roman people. However, they were considered sacrosanct, meaning they were sacred and protected. All plebeians promised to protect the tribunes from any harm or interference while they were in office. Anyone who hurt a tribune could be killed without punishment.

This protection was the source of the tribunes' great power, called ius intercessionis or intercessio. This meant any tribune could step in to stop an action by a magistrate or other official. Citizens could ask the tribunes for help if they disagreed with a magistrate's decision. The tribunes then had to decide if the action was legal before the magistrate could continue. This power also let tribunes forbid, or veto, any action of the Senate or another assembly. Only a dictator was free from these powers.

The tribunicia potestas, or tribunician power, was limited. It came from the people's oath to defend the tribunes. This meant most of the tribunes' actions were limited to Rome itself and about one mile around it. They couldn't affect what governors did in other Roman provinces.

The dictator Sulla greatly reduced the tribunes' powers in 81 BC. While many of these powers were brought back later, the tribunes' importance was permanently damaged. In 48 BC, the Senate gave tribunician powers to Julius Caesar. He used them to stop other tribunes from getting in his way. Later, in 23 BC, the first Roman emperor, Augustus, also received these powers. From then on, every emperor was given these powers as part of their official titles. Under the Roman Empire, tribunes were still elected, but they had lost their independence and most of their real power. The job became just a step for plebeians who wanted to join the Senate.

Leading Soldiers: Military Tribunes

The tribuni militum, or military tribunes, were elected every year. Their number changed over time, but eventually reached twenty-four. These were usually young men in their late twenties who hoped to have a career in the Senate. Each tribune was given command of a part of the Roman army. They reported to higher leaders appointed by the Senate.

Within each Roman legion (a large unit of soldiers), several mid-level officers were also called tribune. These included:

Tribunus laticlavius: A high-ranking officer, second in command of a legion. They wore a broad stripe on their toga.
Tribunus angusticlavius: An officer chosen from the equites (another social class), five for each legion. They wore a narrow stripe.
Tribunus rufulus: An officer chosen by the commander.
Tribunus vacans: An officer in the Late Roman army who wasn't assigned to a specific unit; they were part of the general's staff.
Tribunus cohortis: An officer commanding a cohort, which was a part of a legion.
Tribunus cohortis urbanae: Commander of one of the urban cohorts, which were like military police in Rome.
Tribunus sexmestris: A tribune who served for only six months.

In the later Roman army, a tribunus was a senior officer, sometimes called a comes. They commanded a cavalry unit. The title tribounos continued in the East Roman army until the early 7th century.

The word tribunal comes from the use of tribunus for military officers. A tribunal was originally a raised platform where a commander would speak to soldiers or make legal decisions.

Military tribunes appear in famous historical novels like Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace and The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas. Both books are about characters whose lives are affected by Jesus. They were also made into popular movies in the 1950s.

A Compromise: Consular Tribunes

In 445 BC, the tribunes of the plebs managed to pass a law called the lex Canuleia. This law allowed patricians and plebeians to marry each other. It also said that one of the consuls (the highest elected officials) could be a plebeian.

The Senate didn't want a plebeian to become a consul. So, they suggested a compromise: instead of consuls, three military tribunes would be elected. These tribunes could be either patrician or plebeian. The first tribuni militum consulare potestate, or military tribunes with consular power, were elected in 444 BC. Even though plebeians could hold this office, the first ones were all patricians.

Military tribunes were elected instead of consuls for about half the years between 444 and 401 BC. In every case, all the tribunes were patricians. No plebeian managed to become a consul during this time either. The number of tribunes increased to four in 426 BC, and then to six in 405 BC.

Finally, in 400 BC, the plebeians elected four of their own as military tribunes! More were elected in 399, 396, 383, and 379 BC. But other than these years, plebeians still couldn't get the highest jobs in Rome.

The patricians' control over power was finally broken by Gaius Licinius Calvus Stolo and Lucius Sextius Lateranus. They were tribunes of the people. In 376 BC, they proposed a law that said one of the consuls must be a plebeian, not just might be. When the Senate refused, the tribunes stopped the election of yearly leaders for five years! They finally allowed consular tribunes to be elected from 370 to 367 BC.

In the end, with encouragement from the dictator Marcus Furius Camillus, the Senate gave in. They passed the Licinian Rogations. Sextius was elected the first plebeian consul, and Licinius followed two years later. With this agreement, the consular tribunes were no longer needed.

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