06-18-2009, 07:22 AM
For a long time I have been struck by the fact that the governance of a lodge of freemasons seems very similar to the governance of the Roman republic. I’ve asked around about this in the past, including writing an email to an author of a prominent book about the history of freemasonry, but have never received any additional information.
Here are some of the similarities I have thought of:
1) Collegiality. A lodge of freemasons has each office held by two people. These normally include two Stewards, two Deacons and two Wardens. In the Republic, many of the magistrates were likewise held by two people simultaneously. As an exception to this similarity, the supreme office of a lodge is only held by one person: the Master.
2) Cursus honorum. A lodge has a sequential order of offices, the same as in the Republic. (Also, in both institutions, this is a tradition not always followed.)
3) Senate. A lodge has a semi-unofficial body of people who have formerly held the office of Master. Sometimes called Past Masters or Elders, they have little official power but wield great influence. In some places they nominate a new Master, who is then voted upon by all the members, very similar to one function of the Roman Senate during the era of the Kings.
4) Annual terms. An officer in a freemason lodge holds his office for one year, just like in the Republic.
5) People’s Assembly. All the members of a lodge perform some duties such as electing new officers each year and voting on new rules. These rules are often presented to them by the officers, and the candidates for office are often presented to them by the Past Masters (see #3). These functions are very similar to various duties of some Republican assemblies.
6) Ancient laws. One of the foundations of freemason law is the “Ancient Charges,” which variously lay out rules of governance and behaviour. Much of it is outdated for the modern lodge but it is still held in honour and respected. This is strikingly similar to the Twelve Tables, which was still cited as an authority by later Romans, even though much of it was archaic.
There are some other similarities I’ve noticed, but I don’t want to make this too long. But to sum up there are some interesting parallels between the magistrates, law and assemblies between modern freemasonry and the Roman Republic.
Here is my wild speculation: is it conceivable that freemasons of the past were so taken by the constitutional apparatus of the Roman Republic that they consciously sought to emulate it?
Here are some of the similarities I have thought of:
1) Collegiality. A lodge of freemasons has each office held by two people. These normally include two Stewards, two Deacons and two Wardens. In the Republic, many of the magistrates were likewise held by two people simultaneously. As an exception to this similarity, the supreme office of a lodge is only held by one person: the Master.
2) Cursus honorum. A lodge has a sequential order of offices, the same as in the Republic. (Also, in both institutions, this is a tradition not always followed.)
3) Senate. A lodge has a semi-unofficial body of people who have formerly held the office of Master. Sometimes called Past Masters or Elders, they have little official power but wield great influence. In some places they nominate a new Master, who is then voted upon by all the members, very similar to one function of the Roman Senate during the era of the Kings.
4) Annual terms. An officer in a freemason lodge holds his office for one year, just like in the Republic.
5) People’s Assembly. All the members of a lodge perform some duties such as electing new officers each year and voting on new rules. These rules are often presented to them by the officers, and the candidates for office are often presented to them by the Past Masters (see #3). These functions are very similar to various duties of some Republican assemblies.
6) Ancient laws. One of the foundations of freemason law is the “Ancient Charges,” which variously lay out rules of governance and behaviour. Much of it is outdated for the modern lodge but it is still held in honour and respected. This is strikingly similar to the Twelve Tables, which was still cited as an authority by later Romans, even though much of it was archaic.
There are some other similarities I’ve noticed, but I don’t want to make this too long. But to sum up there are some interesting parallels between the magistrates, law and assemblies between modern freemasonry and the Roman Republic.
Here is my wild speculation: is it conceivable that freemasons of the past were so taken by the constitutional apparatus of the Roman Republic that they consciously sought to emulate it?
David J. Cord
www.davidcord.com
www.davidcord.com
