Caesar’s Offer, Cicero’s Rebuff, and the Two Land Commissions of 59 B. C.

Abstract

It is commonly held that the Board of Five (Vviri) created by Caesar’s first lex agraria in 59 B. C. was a subcommission of the Board of Twenty (XXviri), and that a post on the former - which was invested with judicial powers - was offered to Cicero in c. July of that year. This is founded upon Cicero’s puzzling reference to the post as both quinquevir and vigintivir. This paper argues two connected points: a) pace Mommsen, the two land commissions were in fact separate entities; and b) Cicero received two offers (first quinquevir, then vigintivir) some six months apart in markedly different political and personal circumstances.

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