In the first period of his life, for about twenty-five years, he made a mark indeed, but rendered no memorable services to the State and won no especial fame.  Had he died at the age of forty-three, his name would probably not have descended to our times, except as a leading citizen, a good lawyer, and powerful debater.  He saw military service, almost as a matter of course; but he was not particularly distinguished as a general, nor did he select the military profession.  He was eloquent, aspiring, and able, as a young patrician; but, like Cicero, it would seem that he sought the civil service, and made choice of the law, by which to rise in wealth and power.  He was a politician from the first; and his ambition was to get a seat in the Senate, like all other able and ambitious men.  Senators were not hereditary, however nobly born, but gained their seats by election to certain high offices in the gift of the people, called curule offices, which entitled them to senatorial position and dignity.  A seat in the Senate was the great object of Roman ambition; because the Senate was the leading power of the State, and controlled the army, the treasury, religious worship, and the provinces.  The governors and ambassadors, as well as the dictators, were selected by this body of aristocrats.  In fact, to the Senate was intrusted the supreme administration of the Empire, although the source of power was technically and theoretically in the people, or those who had the right of suffrage; and as the people elected those magistrates whose offices entitled them to a seat in the Senate, the Senate was virtually elected by the people.  Senators held their places for life, but could be weeded out by the censors.  And as the Senate in its best days contained between three and four hundred men, not all the curule magistrates could enter it, unless there were vacancies; but a selection from them was made by the censors.  So the Senate, in all periods of the Roman Republic, was composed of experienced men,—­of those who had previously held the great offices of State.

To gain a seat in the Senate, therefore, it was necessary to be elected by the people to one of the great magistracies.  In the early ages of the Republic the people were incorruptible; but when foreign conquest, slavery, and other influences demoralized them, they became venal and sold their votes.  Hence only rich men, ordinarily, were elected to high office; and the rich men, as a rule, belonged to the old families.  So the Senate was made up not only of experienced men, but of the aristocracy.  There were rich men outside the Senate,—­successful plebeians, men who had made fortunes by trade, bankers, monopolists, and others; but these, if ambitious of social position or political influence, became gradually absorbed among the senatorial families.  Those who could afford to buy the votes of the people, and those only, became magistrates and senators.  Hence the demagogues were rich men and belonged to the highest ranks, like Clodius and Catiline.