sides, but should hardly be slandering the parties.  Parties in fact they were not.  They were factions, and the fact that it is by no means easy always to decide how far individuals were swayed by good or bad motives, where good motives were so often paraded to mask base actions, does not disguise their despicable character.  Honest optimates would wish to maintain the Senate’s preponderance from affection to it, and from belief in its being the mainstay of the State.  Honest populares, like the Gracchi, who saw the evils of senatorial rule, tried to win the popular vote to compass its overthrow.  Dishonest politicians of either side advocated conservatism or change simply from the most selfish personal ambition; and in time of general moral laxity it is the dishonest politicians who give the tone to a party.  The most unscrupulous members of the ruling ring, the most shameless panderers to mob prejudice, carry all before them.  Both seek one thing only—­personal ascendency, and the State becomes the bone over which the vilest curs wrangle.

[Sidenote:  Who the equites were.] In writing of the Gracchi reference will be made to the Equites.  The name had broadened from its original meaning, and now merely denoted all non-senatorial rich men.  An individual eques would lean to the senatorial faction or the faction of men too poor to keep a horse for cavalry service, just as his connexions were chiefly with the one or the other.  How, as a body, the equites veered round alternately to each side, we shall see hereafter.  Instead of forming a sound middle class to check the excesses of both parties, they were swayed chiefly by sordid motives, and backed up the men who for the time seemed most willing or able to gratify their greed.  What went on at Rome must have been repeated over again with more or less exactitude throughout Italy, and there, in addition to this process of national disintegration, the clouds of a political storm were gathering.  The following table will show at a glance the classification of the Roman State as constituted at the outbreak of the Social War.

Cives Romani:  1.  Rome 2.  Roman Colonies 3.  Municipia

  Roman Colonies and Municipia are Praefectura.

  Peregrini: 
  1.  Latini or Nomen Latinum
     a.  Old Latin towns except such as had been made Municipia
     b.  Colonies of old Latin towns
     c.  Joint colonies (if any) of Rome and old Latin towns
     d.  Colonies of Italians from all parts of Italy founded by Rome
        under the name of Latin Colonies
  2.  Socii, i.e.  Free inhabitants of Italy
  3.  Provincials, i.e.  Free subjects of Rome out of Italy