Officers attending the consul or other magistrate.
Lictors
Fact of the Day
In late antiquity, alongside the Goths, Vandals and Huns, there was a tribe called the Alans.
Quote of the Day
"In this country, it is good to kill an admiral from time to time, in order to encourage the others.
"
~ Voltaire on Admiral Byng's execution
On This Day
1586 American colonists arrived in Plymouth with large quantities of tobacco. Smoking caught on quickly, though it was also used in tea.
1694 The Bank of England was founded by an act of parliament as a way to finance government debt by private subscription.
1943 The concentrated Allied bombing of Hamburg led to a three hour firestorm that killed approx 30,000 civilians.