Last week Senators tugged valiantly at their togas and amended the rule book in the name of statesmanly decorum. Two new regulations strike deep at arcane devices dear to the Senate parliamentarians.

Equestrian togas had a narrow purple stripe (clavus ... so letting equestrians into the Senate was a big step. Over time, the Senate would be open to Roman citizens from outside Italy.

The Roman Senate started life as an advisory council ... the honor of wearing the ‘latus clavus’ – the purple striped toga. In 27 BC, Augustus claimed he had restored the republic.