Tribunus plebis, rendered in English as
tribune of the plebs,
tribune of the people, or
plebeian tribune, was the first office of the
Roman state that was open to the
plebeians, and throughout the history of the Republic, the most important check on the power of the
Roman senate and
magistrates. These
tribunes had the power to convene and preside over the
Concilium Plebis, or people's assembly; to summon the senate; to propose legislation; and to intervene on behalf of plebeians in legal matters; but the most significant power of these tribunes was the power to
veto the actions of the
consuls and other magistrates, thus protecting the interests of the plebeians as a class. The tribunes of the plebs were
sacrosanct, meaning that any assault on their person was prohibited by law. In
imperial times, the powers of the tribunate were granted to the
emperor as a matter of course, and the office itself lost its independence and most of its functions. During the day the tribunes used to sit on the
tribune benches on the
Forum Romanum.