86. But this too was afterwards transferred to præfects, Tacit. loc. cit.

Augustus introduced a new kind of quæstors called QUÆSTORES CANDIDATI, or candidati principis vel Augusti, Suet. Aug. 56. Claud. 40. vel Cæsaris, Vell. ii. 124. who used to carry the messages of the emperor, (libellos, epistolas, et orationes), to the senate, Suet. Tit. 6. (See p. 23.) They were called candidati because they sued for higher preferments, which by the interest of the emperor they were sure to obtain; hence, Petis tanquam Cæsaris candidatus, i. e. carelessly, Quinctilian, vi. 3. 62.

Augustus ordained by an edict, that persons might enjoy the quæstorship, and of course be admitted into the senate, at the age of twenty-two, Plin. Epist. x. 83, & 84.

Under the emperors, the quæstors exhibited shews of gladiators, which they seem to have done at their own expence, as a requisite for obtaining the office, Tacit. Ann. xi. 22. Suet. Domit. 4·

Constantine instituted a new kind of quæstors, called QUÆSTORES PALATII, who were much the same with what we now call Chancellors, Zosim. v. Procop, de bell. Pers.

Other ORDINARY MAGISTRATES.

THERE were various other ordinary magistrates;

as,

TRIUMVIRI CAPITALES, who judged concerning slaves and persons of the lowest rank, Plaut. Aul. iii. 2. 2. and who also had the charge of the prison, Liv. xxxii. 26. and of the execution of condemned criminals, Sall. Cat. 55.

TRIUMVIRI MONETALES, who had the charge of the mint, (qui auro, argento, ari, flando, feriundo præerant, which is often marked, in letters, A. A. A. F. F.) Dio. liv. 26. According to the advice of Mecenas to Augustus, Dio. lii. 29. it appears that only Roman coins were permitted to circulate in the provinces, Matth. xxii. 20.

NUMMULARII, vel pecuniæ spectatores, saymasters, (al

L 2

quos

quos nummi probandi causâ deferebantur, an probi essent, cujus auri, an suberati, an aqui ponderis, an bone fusionis).

TRIUMVIRI NOCTURNI, vel tresviri, who had the charge of preventing fires, (incendiis per urbem arcendis præerant). Liv. ix. 46. and walked round the watches in the night-time, (vigilias circumibant), attended by eight lictors, Plaut. Amphit. i. 1. 3.

QUATUOR VIRI VIALES, vel viocuri (qui vias curabant), who had the charge of the streets and public roads. All these magistrates used to be created by the people at the Comitia Tributa.

Some add to the Magistratus Ordinarii Minores, the CENTUMVIRI litibus judicandis, (vel stlitibus judicandis, for so it was anciently written), a body of men chosen out of every tribe, (so that properly there were 105), for judging such causes as the prætor committed to their decision; and also the DECEMVIRI litibus judicandis. But these were generally not reckoned magistrates, but only judges.

New ORDINARY MAGISTRATES under the

EMPERORS.

UGUSTUS instituted several new offices; as, Curatores operum publicorum, viarum, aquarum, alvei Tiberis, sc. repurgandi et laxioris faciendi, frumenti populo dividundi; persons who had the charge of the public works, of the roads, of bringing water to the city, of cleaning and enlarging the channel of the Tiber, and of distributing corn to the people, Suet. Aug. 37. The chief of these offices were,

I. The governor of the city, (PRÆFECTUS URBI, vel urbis), whose power was very great, and generally continued for several years, Tacit. Ann. vi. 11.

A præfect of the city used likewise formerly to be chosen Occasionally (in tempus deligebatur), in the absence of the kings, and afterwards of the consuls. He was not chosen by the people, but appointed, first by the kings, and afterwards by the consuls, (a regibus impositi: Postea consules mandabant, Tacit. ibid.) He might, however, assemble the senate, even

although

although he was not a senator, Gell. xiv. c. ult. and also hold the comitia, Liv. i. 59. But after the creation of the prætor, he used only to be appointed for celebrating the Feria Latina, or Latin holy-days.

Augustus instituted this magistracy by the advice of Macenas, Dio. lii. 21. who himself in the civil wars had been in-. trusted by Augustus with the charge of the city and of Italy, (cunctis apud Romam atque Italiam præpositus), Tacit. ibid. Hor. Od. iii. 8. 17. Ibid. 29. 25. The first præfect of the city was Messala Corvinus, only for a few days; after him Taurus Statilius, and then Piso for twenty years. He was usually chosen from among the principal men of the state, (ex viris primariis vel consularibus). His office comprehended many things, which had formerly belonged to the prætor and ædiles, He administered justice betwixt masters and slaves, freedmen and patrons; he judged of the crimes of guardians and curators; he checked the frauds of bankers and money-brokers; he had the superintendance of the shambles, (carnis curam gerebat), and of the public spectacles; in short he took care to preserve order and public quiet, and punished all transgressions of it, not only in the city, but within a hundred miles of it, (intra centesimum ab urbe lapidem), Dio, lii. 21. He had the power of banishing persons both from the city and from Italy, and of transporting them to any island which the emperor named, (in insulam deportandi), Úlpian, de off. Præf Urb.

The præfect of the city was at it were, the substitute (vicarius), of the Emperor, and had one under him, who exercised jurisdiction in his absence, or by his command.

The præfect of the city seems to have had the same insignia with the prætors.

II. The præfect of the prætorian cohorts, (PRÆFECTUS PRÆTORIO, vel prætoriis cohortibus;; or the commander of the emperor's body guards.

Augustus instituted two of these from the equestrian order, by the advice of Mecenas, that they might counteract one another, if one of them attempted any innovation, Dio. lii. 24. Their power was at first but small, and merely military. But Sejanus, being alone invested by Tiberius with this command, increased its influence, (vim præfectura modicum antea intendit), by collecting the prætorian colorts, formerly dispersed through the city, into one camp, Tacit. Ann. iv. 2. Suet. Tib. 37.

The

The præfect of the prætorian bands was under the succeeding emperors made the instrument of their tyranny, and therefore that office was conferred on none but those whom they could entirely trust.

They always attended the emperor to execute his commands: Hence their power became so great, that it was little inferior to that of the emperor himself, (ut non multum abfuerit a principatu; munus proximum vel alterum ab Augusti imperio, Victor de Cæs. 9.) Trials and appeals were brought before them; and from their sentence there was no appeal, unless by way of supplication to the emperor.

The prætorian præfect was appointed to his office by the emperor's delivering to him a sword, Plin. Paneg. 67. Herod, iii, 2. Dio, lxviii. 33.

Sometimes there was but one præfect, and sometimes two. Constantine created four præfecti prætorio: But he changed their office very much from its original institution; for he made it civil instead of military, and divided among them the care of the whole empire. To one he gave the command of the east, to another of Illyricum, to a third of Italy and Africa, and to a fourth, of Gaul, Spain, and Britain; but he took from them the command of the soldiers, and transferred that to officers, who were called magistri equitum.

Under each of these præfecti prætorio were several substi tutes (vicari), who had the charge of certain districts, which were called DIECESES; and the chief city in each of these, where they held their courts, was called METROPOLIS, Each diocesis might contain several metropoles, and each metropolis had several cities under it. But Cicero uses DIOCESIS for the part of a province, ad Attic. v. 21, Fam. iii. 8. xiii, 53. 67. and calls himself EPISCOPUS, inspector or gover. nor of the Campanian coast, as of a diœcesis, ad Att. vii. 11.

III, PRÆFECTUS ANNONÆ, vel rei frumentaria, who had the charge of procuring corn.

A magistrate used to be created for that purpose on extraordinary occasions under the republic: thus L. Minutius, Liv. iv. 12. and so afterwards Pompey with greater power, (omnis potestas rei frumentaria toto orbe in quinquennium ei data est), Cic. Att. iv. 1. Dio, xxxix. 9. Liv. Epit. 104. Plin. Pan. 29, In the time of a great scarcity, Augustus himself undertook the charge of providing corn, (præfecturam annona suscepit), and ordained, that for the future two men of prætorian dignity

should

should be annually elected to discharge that office, Dio, liv. 1. afterwards he appointed four, ibid. 17. and thus it became an ordinary magistracy. But usually there seems to have been but one præfectus annona, it was at first an office of great dignity, Tacit. Ann. i. 7. xi. 31. Hist. iv. 63. but not so in after times, Boeth de Consol. Phil. iii.

IV. PRÆFECTUS MILITARIS ERARII, a person who had the charge of the public fund, which Augustus instituted for the support of the army, (ararium militare cum novis vectigalibus ad tuendos prosequendosque milites, Suet. Aug. 49.)

V. PRÆFECTUS CLASSIS, admiral of the fleet. Augustus equipped two fleets, which he stationed, (constituit), the one at Ravenna on the Hadriatic, and the other at Misena or-um on the Tuscan sea. Each of these had its own proper commander, (præfectus classis Ravennatis, Tacit. Hist. iii. 12. et præfectus classis Misenatium, Veget. iv. 32.) There were also ships stationed in other places; as, in the Pontus Euxinus, Tacit. Hist. ii. 83. near Alexandria, Suet. Aug. 98. on the Rhine, Flor. iv. 12. and Danube, Tacit. Annal. xiii. 30. &c.

VI. PRÆFECTUS VIGILUM, the officer who commanded the soldiers who were appointed to watch the city. Of these there were seven cohorts, one for every two wards, (una cohors binis regionibus), composed chiefly of manumitted slaves, (libertino milite), Suet. Aug. 25. and 30. Those who guarded adjoining houses in the night time, carried each of them a bell, (xwdwv, tintinnabulum), to give the alarm to one another, when any thing happened, Dio. liv. 4.

The præfectus vigilum took cognisance of incendiaries, thieves, vagrants, and the like; and if any atrocious case happened, it was remitted to the præfect of the city.

There were various other magistrates in the latter times of the empire, called Comites, Correctores, Duces, Magiftri Officiorum, Scriniorum, &c. who were honoured with various epithets according to their different degrees of dignity; as, Clarissimi, illustres, spectabiles, egregii, perfectissimi, &c. The highest title was, nobilissimus and gloriosissimus.