After the decline of the popular assemblic^
the senate had the whole internal administra-
tion of a city, coqjointly with the magistratus ;
but only a decurio could be a magistratus,
and the choice was made by the decuriones.
The highest magistratus of a colonia were the
duumviri or quattuorviri, so called, i»6 the
members might vary, whose functions may
be compared with those of the consulate at
Rome before the establishment of the |i<ttetor'
ship. The name duumviri seems to have
been the most common. Their principal
duties were the administration of justice, and
accordingly we find on inscriptions " Duum-
viri J. D." {Juri dicundo), ** Quattuorviri
J. D." The name fionsal also occurs in in-
scriptions to denote this chief magistracy;
and even dictator and praetor occur under the
empire and under the nepublic. The office of
the duumviri lasted a yuajr. — ^In some Italian
towns there was a pratifeotus Juri dicundo ;
he was in the place of, and not co-existrat
with,, the duumviri. The duumviri were, as
we have seen, originally chosen by the people



COLOSSUS.
101



COLUMNA.
