Editing Servius Tullius (section)

===Servian reforms===
{{Main|Servian constitution}}
Most of the reforms credited to Servius extended voting rights to certain groups – in particular to Rome's citizen-commoners (known in the Republican era as [[plebs]]), minor landholders previously disqualified from voting by ancestry, status or ethnicity. The same reforms simultaneously defined the fiscal and military obligations of all Roman citizens. As a whole, the so-called Servian reforms probably represent a long-drawn, complex and piecemeal process of populist policy and reform, extending from Servius' predecessors, [[Ancus Marcius]] and Tarquinius Priscus, to his successor [[Tarquinius Superbus]], and into the Middle and Late Republic. Rome's military and territorial expansion and consequent changes in its population would have made franchise regulation and reform an ongoing necessity, and their wholesale attribution to Servius "cannot be taken at face value".<ref>Cornell, pp. 144–147, 173–175, 183 (military character of reforms, especially in census).</ref>

====Curiate reform and census====
Until the Servian reforms, the passing of laws and judgment was the prerogative of the ''[[comitia curiata]]'' (curiate assembly), made up from thirty [[curia]]e; Roman sources describe ten curiae for each of three aristocratic [[Roman tribe|tribes]] or clans, each supposedly based on one of Rome's central hills, and claiming [[Patrician (ancient Rome)|patrician]] status by virtue of their descent from Rome's founding families. These tribes comprised approximately 200 ''[[gens|gentes]]'' (clans), each of which contributed one senator ("elder") to the Senate. The senate advised the king, devised laws in his name, and was held to represent the entire [[SPQR|''populus Romanus'' (Roman people)]]; but it could only debate and discuss. Its decisions had no force unless approved by the ''comitia curiata''. By the time of Servius, if not long before, the tribes of the ''comitia'' were a minority of the population, ruling a multitude who had no effective voice in their own government.<ref>Cornell, pp. 115–118.</ref>

Rome's far more populous citizen-commoners could participate in this assembly in limited fashion, and perhaps offer their opinions on decisions but only the ''comitia curiata'' could vote. A minority thus exercised power and control over the majority. Roman tradition held that Servius formed a [[comitia centuriata]] of commoners to displace the ''comitia curiata'' as Rome's central legislative body. This required his development of the first Roman [[census]], making Servius the first [[Roman censor]].<ref>Census derives from Latin ''censere'', "to judge" or "to estimate".</ref> For the purposes of the census, citizens assembled by tribe in the [[Campus Martius]] to register their social rank, household, property and income. This established an individual's tax obligations, his ability to muster arms for military service when required to do so, and his assignment to a particular voting bloc.

The institution of the census and the ''comitia centuriata'' are speculated as Servius' attempt to erode the civil and military power of the Roman aristocracy, and seek the direct support of his newly enfranchised citizenry in civil matters; if necessary, under arms.<ref>Cornell, pp. 194–197.</ref> The ''comitia curiata'' continued to function through the Regal and Republican eras, but the Servian reform had reduced its powers to those of a largely symbolic "upper house"; its noble members were expected to do no more than ratify decisions of the ''comitia centuriata''.<ref>Cornell, p. 25.</ref>

====Classes====
The census grouped Rome's male citizen population in classes, according to status, wealth and age. Each class was subdivided into groups called ''centuriae'' (centuries), nominally of 100 men (Latin ''centum'' = 100) but in practice of variable number,<ref>The Servian "centuries" are therefore held to mean "groups".</ref> further divided as ''seniores'' (men aged 46 – 60, of a suitable age to serve as "home guards" or city police) and ''iuniores'' (men aged 17 – 45, to serve as front–line troops when required). Adult male citizens were obliged, when called upon, to fulfill military service according to their means, which was supposedly assessed in archaic ''[[As (Roman coin)|asses]]''.<ref>The ''as'' of this era represented a particular weight of bronze – one pound, according to Cornell – much heavier than the later ''as''; its value cannot therefore be represented as a fraction or equivalent of later Roman coinage (''as'', ''[[sesterce]]'' or [[denarius]]). See Cornell, pp. 180–181.</ref>  A citizen's wealth and class would, therefore, have defined their position in the civil hierarchies, and up to a point, within the military; but despite its apparent military character, and its possible origins as the mustering of the citizenry–at–arms, the system would have primarily served to determine the voting qualifications and wealth of individual citizens for taxation purposes, and the weight of their vote – wars were occasional but taxation was a constant necessity<ref>Cornell, pp. 186–190, 194–196.</ref> – and the [[comitia centuriata]] met whenever required to do so, in peace or war. Though each century had voting rights, the wealthiest  had the most centuries, and voted first. Those beneath them were convened only in the event of deadlock or indecision; the lowest class was unlikely to vote at all.<ref>See Cornell, p. 179, who is citing Livy, [[s:From the Founding of the City/Book 1#43|1.43]], and Dionysius of Halicarnassus IV, 16–18. Descriptions of the armour and arms to be supplied by members of each class are almost certainly learned, speculative introjections by Livy and Dionysius.</ref>

The Roman army's ''centuria'' system and its order of battle are thought to be based on the civilian classifications established by the census. The military selection process picked men from civilian ''centuriae'' and slipped them into military ones. Their function depended on their age, experience, and the equipment they could afford. The wealthiest class of ''iuniores'' (aged 17–45) were armed as [[hoplite]]s, heavy infantry with [[helmet]], [[greave]]s, [[breastplate]], shields (''[[clipeus]]''), and spears (''[[hasta (spear)|hastae]]''). Each battle line in the [[phalanx formation]] was composed of a single class.<ref>Lendon, J.E., ''Soldiers & Ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity'', Yale University Press (2005), {{ISBN|978-0-300-11979-4}}, p. 182: The Greek-style phalanx was known to the Romans of the Regal era, and their front-line fighting men were armed identically to early Greek hoplites.</ref> Military specialists, such as trumpeters, were chosen from the 5th class. The highest officers were of aristocratic origin until the early Republic, when the first [[plebeian tribune]]s were elected by the plebeians from their own number. Cornell suggests that this centuriate system made the equites, who "consisted mainly, if not exclusively, of patricians" but voted after infantry of the first class, subordinate to the relatively low-status infantry.<ref>Cornell, p. 196.</ref>