II.III.Increasing Powers of the Burgesses 16.

Any one who compares the consular Fasti before and after 412 will have no doubt as to the existence of the above-mentioned law respecting re-election to the consulate; for, while before that year a return to office, especially after three or four years, was a common occurrence, afterwards intervals of ten years and more were as frequent.

Exceptions, however, occur in very great numbers, particularly during the severe years of war 434-443.

On the other hand, the principle of not allowing a plurality of offices was strictly adhered to.

There is no certain instance of the combination of two of the three ordinary curule (Liv.xxxix.39, 4) offices (the consulate, praetorship, and curule aedileship), but instances occur of other combinations, such as of the curule aedileship and the office of master of the horse (Liv.xxiii.24, 30); of the praetorship and censorship (Fast.Cap.a.