Controlling Elite. One consequence of the way the government was organized was that a small elite could exercise considerable control, especially negative control, as long as it presented a relatively united front. However, this control was not always the case. Consider the elections. Romans did not call political "offices" by the Latin word officia ("duties"); they called them honores ("honors"). For the aristocrats engaged in politics, much of it was about the search for honors and, in particular, competition with their peers. This situation could lead to considerable disunity. How were political battles conducted? Most of the same devices aristocrats used to separate themselves from the masses could also be used against political foes. Superiority could be claimed by a bigger gift to the people or a better speech. If positive approaches such as this did...