In Ancient Rome, senators were ranked based on their seniority, which was not just how long they've been in the Senate, but what was their highest office before entering the senate. Ex-consuls and ex-praetors were always ranked higher than former holders of lower offices.

Only the highest ranks had the right to introduce bills, and the order of public speaking was always based on seniority. That means that the few most senior senators always had control of the agenda, and usually persuaded enough senators to support their bill that the rest never had an opportunity to speak or influence anything. The rest of the senators became known as the "strollers", because their only job was to stroll to one side of the senate floor or the other, based on whether they were for or against a bill.