The senate claimed the ezcIosiTe right of
deliberating upon all these points, and giving
or withholcung the honour sought, ana they
for the most part exercised the privilege with-
out question, except in times of great politi-
cal excitement. The sovereignty of the peo-
ple, however, in this matter was asserted at
a very early date, and a triumph is said to
have been voted by the tribes to Valerius and
Horatius, the consuls cK b. c. 446, in direct
opposition to the resolution of the fathers;
ana in a similar manner to C. Marcias Rutilus,
the first plebeian dictator ; while L. Postumius
Megellus, consul b. o. 294, celebrated a tri-
umph, although resisted by the senate and
seven out of the ten tribunes. Nay more, we
read of a certain Appius Claudras, consul
B. c. 143, who having persisted in celebrating
a triumph in defiance of both the senate and
people, was accompanied by his daughter ^or
sister) Claudia, a vestal virgin, and by her in-
terposition saved from being dragged from his
chariot by a tribune. A dis^pourted general,
however, seldom ventured to resort to such
violent measures, but satisfied himself with
going through the forms on the Alban Mount,
a practice firet introduced by C. Papirius Maso.
If the senate gave their consent, they at
the same time voted a sum of money towards
defrajring the necessary expenses, and one of.
