共和政期ローマの執政官選挙と優先投票ケントゥリア(Centuria Praerogativa)

抄録

The centuriate assembly, which elected higher magistrates such as consuls or praetors during the Roman republic, had at its disposal - at least in the case of consular elections - a specific voting system called Centuria Praerogativa. This was the first century to cast its vote and the result was proclaimed separately from the others. Many scholars have assumed that the voting of this one century often had a decisive influence over the centuries that followed, so that the candidates selected by this one century won the competition. Their studies, therefore, have focused on explaining the significance of its influence, especially in the light of recent discussions about the political importance or influence of the Roman people. However, by analyzing some sources which are considered to indicate the influence of Centuria Praerogativa in their proper context, I will argue that the great influence exerted by this century is found under certain conditions pertaining to the elections, which have not adequately studied yet. Accordingly this paper aims to analyze the influence of Centuria Praerogativa by asking when and how this century was followed by the other centuries. I first analyze one actual election, the consular election of 53 BC. In this election, there were four candidates with equal chances of winning, but two of these would be in a more favorable position than the rest once they have promised Centuria Praerogativa a huge amount of money. From this it can be surmised that the influence of Centuria Praerogativa emerges in the case of close elections. And this is actually confirmed by some ancient sources explaining the function of this century. According to them, Centuria Praerogativa was supposed to work as a unifying factor for the other centuries. Therefore, for Centuria Praerogativa to fulfill this function, there needed to exist a situation that the voting of the rest could be split between candidates with a possibility of a close election. However, the consular election for the year 63 BC seems not to have been such a case. Of the two candidates with a chance of winning - and despite the fact that one of them must have won the votes of Centuria Praerogativa - the victor won the election by a very close margin. However, based on the voting system that allowed the electorate to cast at any time as many votes as was the quorum for the magistrate concerned, it seems possible to argue from this case that Centuria Praerogativa exerted its influence not on the higher strata of the centuries but rather on the lower ones. And this also corresponds to the above view, because the lower centuries could take part in balloting when the election was closely contested. To conclude, it is during close election that the Centuria Praerogativa exerted its decisive influence over the following centuries, possibly over the lower strata of the centuries. And this argument should caution us not to overestimate the political importance or influence of the Roman people.