the police of the city, and the care of the public games and
buildings. Two of the Aediles were taken from the plebeians, and two,
called Curule Aediles, ranked with the higher magistrates, and might
be patricians. They were elected in the Comitia Tributa. Their
supervision of the public games gave them great opportunities for
gaining favor with the populace, who then, as now, delighted in
circuses and contests. A small sum was appropriated from the public
treasury for these games; but an Aedile usually expended much from his
own purse to make the show magnificent, and thus to gain votes for the
next office, that of Praetor. Only the very wealthy could afford to
hold this office.


QUAESTORS.

There were twenty Quaestors. Two were city treasurers at Rome, having
charge also of the archives. The others were assigned to the different
governors of the provinces, and acted as quartermasters. Through their
clerks, the two city Quaestors kept the accounts, received the taxes,
and paid out the city's money, as directed by the Senate. A Quaestor
always accompanied every Imperator (general) in the field as his
quartermaster. The elections for Quaestors were held in the Comitia
Tribúta.


TRIBUNI PLEBIS.

There were ten Tribunes, elected in the Comitia Tribúta. They were
always plebeians, and their chief power lay in their right to veto any
decree of the Senate, any law of the Comitia, and any public act of a