tribūnus ī, m tribus, the head of a tribe (see tribus)

— hence, a president, commander, representative, tribune: tribunus celerum, in quo tum magistratu forte Brutus erat, L.

—Esp., tribuni aerarii, paymasters, quaestors' assistants (by the Lex Aurelia made judges on the part of the plebs): (Milonem) tribuni aerarii condemnarunt.

—Tribuni militares or militum, tribunes of the soldiers, military tribunes, colonels (a legion had six, each of whom commanded it for two months of the year): tribunus militaris cum Servilio profectus: tribuni cohortium, i. e. then present with the cohorts, Cs.

— From B.C. 444 to B.C. 366 the highest officers of the State, at first three in number, then six, and after B.C. 402 eight, chosen both from the patricians and the plebeians, were military tribunes with consular power: tribunos militum consulari potestate creari sinere, L.: tribuni consulares, L.

—With plebis or plebei (expressed or understood), a tribune of the common people, representative of the plebeians (a magistrate charged with the protection of the commons against the patricians): ita tribuni plebei creati duo, L.: spem habere a tribuno plebis.