One of the most important of the current duties of the senate--that of fixing at its pleasure the functions for the time being of the two consuls--was not withdrawn from it; but the indirect pressure hitherto exercised in this way over the supreme magistrates was limited by directing the senate to fix these functions before the consuls concerned were elected.

With unrivalled activity, lastly, Gaius concentrated the most varied and most complicated functions of government in his own person.

He himself watched over the distribution of grain, selected the jurymen, founded the colonies in person notwithstanding that his magistracy legally chained him to the city, regulated the highways and concluded building- contracts, led the discussions of the senate, settled the consular elections--in short, he accustomed the people to the fact that one man was foremost in all things, and threw the lax and lame administration of the senatorial college into the shade by the vigour and versatility of his personal rule.

Gracchus interfered with the judicial omnipotence, still more energetically than with the administration, of the senate.

We have already mentioned that he set aside the senators as jurymen; the same course was taken with the jurisdiction which the senate as the supreme administrative board allowed to itself in exceptional cases.