26.3
To bind, in the Latin language, was formerly ligare, though now it is alligare; whence the wand-bearers are called lictores, and the wands themselves bacula, from the use, in the time of Romulus, of bakteriai, which is the Greek word for staves. For this assumed use of Greek words by the Romans, cf. chapter xv. 3. But it is likely that the c in the word lictores, as now used, has been added, and that the word was formerly litores, which is the Greek leitourgoi, meaning public servants. For the Greeks still call a public hall leiton, and the people laos. For this assumed use of Greek words by the Romans, cf. Plut. Rom. 15.3.
27.1
But when his grandfather Numitor died in Alba, and its throne devolved upon Romulus, he courted the favour of the people by putting the government in their hands, and appointed an annual ruler for the Albans. In this way he taught the influential men at Rome also to seek after a form of government which was independent and without a king, where all in turn were subjects and rulers. For by this time not even the so-called patricians had any share in the administration of affairs, but a name and garb of honour was all that was left them, and they assembled in their council-chamber more from custom than for giving advice.
27.2
Once there, they listened in silence to the commands of the king, and went away with this advantage only over the multitude, that they learned earlier what he had decreed. The rest of his proceedings were of lesser importance; but when of his own motion merely he divided the territory acquired in war among his soldiers, and gave back their hostages to the Veientes, without the consent or wish of the patricians, he was thought to be insulting their senate outright.
