"available (known as the ""cursus honorum""). The traditional magistracies were only available to citizens of the senatorial class. The magistracies that survived the fall of the republic were (by their order of rank per the ""cursus honorum"") the Consulship, Praetorship, Plebeian Tribunate, Aedileship, Quaestorship, and Military Tribunate. If an individual was not of the senatorial class, he could run for one of these offices if he was allowed to run by the emperor, or otherwise, he could be appointed to one of these offices by the emperor. During the transition from republic to empire, no office lost more power or"
"Cursus honorum The cursus honorum (Latin: ""course of offices"") was the sequential order of public offices held by aspiring politicians in both the Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire. It was designed for men of senatorial rank. The cursus honorum comprised a mixture of military and political administration posts. Each office had a minimum age for election. There were minimum intervals between holding successive offices and laws forbade repeating an office. These rules were altered and flagrantly ignored in the course of the last century of the Republic. For example, Gaius Marius held consulships for five years in a"
"Rationalis A rationalis was a high-ranking fiscal officer in the Roman Empire. Until replaced by the ""comes sacrarum largitionum"" by Emperor Constantine in the early 4th century, the ""rationalis summarum"" – comparable to a modern-day finance minister – was one of two state officials who had authority over the imperial treasury, the other one being the ""rationalis rei privatae"" (manager of imperial estates and city properties). Examples for tasks that were performed by a ""rationalis"" are ""the collection of all normal taxes and duties, the control of currency and the administration of mines and mints"". Each province also had various"
"transformation of the political and social basis of life in and around the Roman Empire. The Roman citizen elite in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, under the pressure of taxation and the ruinous cost of presenting spectacular public entertainments in the traditional ""cursus honorum"", had found under the Antonines that security could only be obtained by combining their established roles in the local town with new ones as servants and representatives of a distant Emperor and his traveling court. After Constantine centralized the government in his new capital of Constantinople (dedicated in 330), the Late Antique upper classes were divided"
"a Durmia, or he was a Durmius adopted into the Ummidii. If the latter, this would mean one Marcus Durmius was his father, known to have been a mint official c. 19 BCE; it is commonly agreed that there is some relationship between Quadratus and the mint official. Although it is accepted that Quadratus had at least one child—the wealthy Ummidia Quadratilla, memorialized in one of Pliny the Younger's letters—not only is the name of his wife unknown, but also whether Quadratus had married more than once. The ""cursus honorum"" – the sequence of positions held by Roman senators –"
"to equestrian rank upon completion of his single-year term of office. The senior officers of the army, the ""legati legionis"" (legion commanders), ""tribuni militum"" (legion staff officers) and the ""praefecti"" (commanders of auxiliary regiments) were all of at least equestrian rank. In the 1st and early 2nd centuries, they were mainly Italian aristocrats performing the military component of their ""cursus honorum"" (conventional career-path). Later, provincial career officers became predominant. Senior officers were paid enormous salaries, multiples of at least 50 times basic. A typical Roman army during this period consisted of five to six legions. One legion was made up"
"the praetors have introduced in aid or supplementation or correction of the ""jus civile"". This is also called honorary law (""jus honorarium""), being so named for the high office (""honos"") of the praetor."" Thus, the Praetor's Edict developed into an important vehicle for the evolution of Roman civil law. A great deal of commentary was written by jurists concerning this ""praetorian law"" or ""ius honorarium"", addressing the legal principles contained in this Edict. Eventually, the above discretion allowed the ""Praetor urbanus"" regarding his Edict was no longer considered appropriate. Accordingly circa CE 129, action was taken that severely restricted its"
"modern scholars. The earliest quaestors were ' (quaestors with judicial power), an office dating back to the Kingdom of Rome. ' were chosen to investigate capital crimes, and may have been appointed as needed rather than holding a permanent position. Ancient authors disagree on the exact manner of selection for this office as well as on its earliest institution, with some dating it to the mythical reign of Romulus. In the Roman Republic, quaestors were elected officials who supervised the treasury and financial accounts of the state, its armies and its officers. The quaestors tasked with financial supervision were also"
"high taxes, and harsh behavior on the part of the Roman tax collectors. This campaign, led by Tiberius and Quaestor Legatus Germanicus under Emperor Augustus, was one of the most difficult, and most crucial, in the history of the Roman Empire. Due to this massive redeployment of available legions, when Varus was named ""Legatus Augusti pro praetore"" in Germania, only three legions were available to him. Varus' name and deeds were well known beyond the empire because of his ruthlessness and crucifixion of insurgents. While he was feared by the people, he was highly respected by the Roman senate. On"
"During the later Republic, members of the Roman Senatorial elite, as part of the normal sequence of elected public offices known as the ""cursus honorum"", would have served first as ""quaestor"" (often posted as deputies to field commanders), then as ""praetor"". Julius Caesar's most talented, effective and reliable subordinate in Gaul, Titus Labienus, was recommended to him by Pompey. Following the end of a term as praetor or consul, a Senator might be appointed by the Senate as a ""propraetor"" or ""proconsul"" (depending on the highest office held before) to govern a foreign province. More junior officers (down to but"
"iudicio magno"" (probably the magistrate presiding over a court of appeal at Rome). Next, probably at some point during the same period, Probus appointed him a judge, acting on behalf of the emperor in hearing cases concerning the money owed to the imperial treasury, as well as financial cases between private individuals, firstly in Rome (c. AD 276-281), and later in Africa (c. AD 281-282) - ""judex sacrarum cognitionum vice caesaris sine appellationem cognoscendi inter fiscum et privatus, item inter privatos Roma et in provincia Africa"". Possibly during the reigns of Carinus and Numerian, Rufinianus Bassus was made a ""comes"
"other rulers. The Cursus publicus was the official mail courier (and transportation) system created by the Roman Emperor, Augustus. Much later, one of the functions of the Thurn-und-Taxis-Post postal system was to carry the mail of Emperor Maximilan I in the Holy Roman Empire. Official mail stamps are related to the end of franking privilege that granted certain elected officials of a government the privilege to send mail for free. The person usually signed their name on the mail but it was a highly abused system. In the UK the rules were changed requiring the sender to indicate the date"
"construction of some public work. The offices held by the person commemorated, and the distinctions conferred upon him are enumerated in a regularly established order (""cursus honorum""), either beginning with the lower and proceeding step by step to the higher, or in reverse order with the highest first. Religious and priestly offices are usually mentioned before civil and political ones. These might be exercised either in Rome itself, or in the various municipalities of the empire. There was also a distinction drawn between offices that might be held only by persons of senatorial rank, those that were assigned to persons"
"the highest level of the cursus honorum (an ascending sequence of public offices to which politicians aspired). It was not uncommon for an organization under Roman private law to copy the terminology of state and city institutions for its own statutory agents. The founding statute, or contract, of such an organisation was called ""lex"", 'law'. The people elected each year were patricians, members of the upper class. While many cities (as in Gaul) had a double-headed chief magistracy, often another title was used, such as ""Duumvir"" or native styles such as ""Meddix"", but ""consul"" was used in some. Throughout most"
"are scenes in Roman sculpture and coins which show an ""adlocutio"", ""acclamatio"", ""adventus"", or ""profectio"". These are occasions when a high-ranking official, such as a general or the Emperor, addresses individuals or a group, often soldiers. Unlike modern custom, in which both the leader and the people he addresses raise their arms, most of these scenes show only the senior official raising his hand. Occasionally it is a sign of greeting or benevolence, but usually it is used as an indication of power. An opposite depiction is the ""salutatio"" of a ""diogmites"", a military police officer, who raises his right"
"mentioned in the inscription was well versed in Roman Law. Collinet believes that the word εύχος (ancient Greek for glory) is a further indicator of the elevated social standing of the person in question. Patricius (jurist) Patricius (Patrikios) was a fifth-century Roman jurist who taught in the ancient Law School of Berytus (present-day Beirut). Patricius was of the seven revered ""Ecumenical Masters"" () and occupied the position of Quaestor of the Sacred Palace in the East, a senior legal office in the late Roman Empire, from the middle to the late fifth century. At the turn of the 20th-century, a"
"A rationibus The a rationibus was the secretary of finance in the Roman Empire and in charge of the imperial treasury, the ""fiscus"". His responsibilities involved monitoring the state's revenues and expenditures and maintaining the accounts of the ""fiscus"", giving the ""a rationibus"" considerable influence. The role of the ""a rationibus"" was originally created by Augustus, who needed accurate and comprehensive accounts of the state's finances in order to exercise budgetary control, and was thus given to members of his household, probably freedmen. This role was then institutionalized in the position of the ""a rationibus"", who was paid a salary"
"into two orders, the senatorial order (""ordo senatorius""), consisting of the c. 600 sitting members of the Roman Senate (plus their sons and grandsons), and the more numerous (several thousand-strong) ""equites"" ""equo publico"" or ""knights granted a public horse"" i.e. knights hereditary or appointed by the Emperor. Hereditary senators and knights combined military service with civilian posts, a career-path known as the ""cursus honorum"", typically starting with a period of junior administrative posts in Rome, followed by five to ten years in the military and a final period of senior positions in either the provinces or at Rome. This tiny,"
"Vir illustris The title vir illustris (""illustrious man"") is used as a formal indication of standing in late antiquity to describe the highest ranks within the senates of Rome and Constantinople. All senators had the title ""vir clarissimus"" (""very famous man""); but from the mid fourth century onwards, ""vir illustris"" and ""vir spectabilis"" (""admirable man"", a lower rank than ""illustris"") were used to distinguish holders of high office. The custom of Roman senators of late antiquity appending the title of ""vir clarissimus"" to their names developed gradually over the first two centuries. During the fourth century, the senatorial order greatly"
"of an appointed minister of finance, the ""comes sacrarum largitionum"" (count of the sacred largesses). He maintained the general treasury and the intake of all revenue until Constantine divided the treasury into three giving the prefect, count and the manager of the res privata their own treasuries. The treasury of the prefect was called the 'arca.' His powers were directed toward control of the new ""sacrum aerarium"", the result of the combination of the ""aerarium"" and the ""fiscus"". The ""comes sacrarum largitionum"" was a figure of tremendous influence. He was responsible for all money taxes, examined banks, ran the mints"
"being awarded to them after their retirement. The generosity of the emperors in bestowing the ""clarissimus"" witnessed the gradual erosion in its value. As a consequence, the emperors began to raise many ""clarissimi"" graded officials to the rank of ""spectabiles"", which in turn cheapened the highest rank of ""illustres"". This inflationary pressure resulted in the creation of a new senatorial rank before the middle of the 6th century, that of ""gloriosi"". Higher in grading than the ""illustres"", all of the highest state officials were regraded to this rank. Under the Principate, provinces that contained legions were under the proconsular authority"
"Legatus A legatus (anglicized as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalized under Augustus as the officer in command of a legion. From the times of the Roman Republic, legates had received large shares of the militaries rewards at the end of a successful campaign, which made the position a lucrative one, so it could often attract even distinguished consuls or other high-ranking political figures within Roman politics (e.g., the consul Lucius Julius Caesar volunteered late in the Gallic Wars"
"the phrase Papal legate. Legatus A legatus (anglicized as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalized under Augustus as the officer in command of a legion. From the times of the Roman Republic, legates had received large shares of the militaries rewards at the end of a successful campaign, which made the position a lucrative one, so it could often attract even distinguished consuls or other high-ranking political figures within Roman politics (e.g., the consul Lucius Julius Caesar volunteered late"
"question as to the exact nature of this evaluation, involving possibly a ""res privata"" so common in the Late Empire. Just as the Senate had its own finance officers, so did the emperors. The head of the ""fiscus"" in the first years was the rationalis, originally a freedman due to Augustus' desire to place the office in the hands of a servant free of the class demands of the traditional society. In succeeding years the corruption and reputation of the freedman forced new and more reliable administrators. From the time of Hadrian (117-138), any ""rationalis"" hailed from the Equestrian Order"
"equestrian rank. In the 1st and early 2nd centuries, they were mainly Italian aristocrats performing the military component of their ""cursus honorum"" (conventional career-path). Later, provincial career officers became predominant. Senior officers were paid enormous salaries, multiples of at least 50 times a soldier's basic pay. Soldiers spent only a fraction of their lives on campaign. Most of their time was spent on routine military duties such as training, patrolling, and maintenance of equipment. Soldiers also played an important role outside the military sphere. They performed the function of a provincial governor's police force. As a large, disciplined and skilled"
"of the Golden Spur. Knight of the Golden Spur (Holy Roman Empire) The Knights of the Golden Spur (Latin ""equites aurati Sancti Romani Imperii"", literally ""Golden Knights of the Holy Roman Empire""; short ""equites aurati"" or ""milites aurati"", ""golden [decorated] knights/soldiers"") were a public official elite of the Holy Roman Empire which consisted mainly of members of the gentry, but also from members of the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy. The term should not be confused with the English knight bachelor, who is frequently termed ""Eques Auratus"" in Latin monumental inscriptions, especially from the 17th century, denoting the privilege held by"
"The ""cursus"" also used communities located along the imperial highways. These towns very often provided food and horses to messengers of the Legions, theoretically receiving reimbursement, and were responsible for the care of their section of the Roman roads. Disputes arose naturally, and for a time the central administration participated more directly. Costs for the ""cursus publicus"" were always high, and its maintenance could not always be guaranteed. Around the time of Nerva, in the late first century, the general cost was transferred to the Fiscus (treasury). Further centralization came during the reign of Hadrian, who created an actual administration"
"were nicknamed ""runners"" ""(cursores)"" because of their quick drafting speed and their ""cursive"" minute hand. They were subsequently known as ""forenses"" and ""publici""—from their presence in public places—before being subsumed under the functions of the ""tabulairus"", or notary-clerk. Lawyers—or ""juris prudense"" or ""juris consulte""—also often acted as notaries. With the degeneration of public administration and its assumption by the Church in the West, as well as the replacement of Roman legal writing culture with a Germanic oral legal system based on witness testimony and open court proceedings, secular notaries became obsolete. In a select group of urban areas, such as"
"Knight of the Golden Spur (Holy Roman Empire) The Knights of the Golden Spur (Latin ""equites aurati Sancti Romani Imperii"", literally ""Golden Knights of the Holy Roman Empire""; short ""equites aurati"" or ""milites aurati"", ""golden [decorated] knights/soldiers"") were a public official elite of the Holy Roman Empire which consisted mainly of members of the gentry, but also from members of the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy. The term should not be confused with the English knight bachelor, who is frequently termed ""Eques Auratus"" in Latin monumental inscriptions, especially from the 17th century, denoting the privilege held by him of being allowed"
"Rex Sacrorum In ancient Roman religion, the rex sacrorum (""king of the sacred"", also sometimes rex sacrificulus) was a senatorial priesthood reserved for patricians. Although in the historical era the ""pontifex maximus"" was the head of Roman state religion, Festus says that in the ranking of the highest Roman priests (""ordo sacerdotum""), the ""rex sacrorum"" was of highest prestige, followed by the ""flamines maiores"" (""Flamen Dialis"", ""Flamen Martialis"", ""Flamen Quirinalis"") and the ""pontifex maximus"". The ""rex"" was based in the Regia. During the Roman Republic, the ""rex sacrorum"" was chosen by the ""pontifex maximus"" from a list of patricians submitted"
"classes of ""rationales"", and Emperor Diocletian's administrative reforms had mirrored the dual structure on the diocesis–level, instituting the local positions ""rationalis summarum"" and ""magister rei privatae"" above the ""procuratores"". The former continued to exist after the reforms, one example are the ""comes et rationalis summarum Aegypti"". In the 6th century, the post was increasingly rendered into its Greek equivalent, ""logothetes"", which later was given to the senior fiscal secretaries of the middle Byzantine Empire (7th–12th centuries). Rationalis A rationalis was a high-ranking fiscal officer in the Roman Empire. Until replaced by the ""comes sacrarum largitionum"" by Emperor Constantine in the"
"Greek East, the function was played by the liturgy, by which some cost was imposed on the wealthy whether holding an office or not. Summa honoraria The summa honoraria (or summa legitima) was a sum that civic magistrates and priests paid upon entering their office in the cities of the Roman Empire. In some places, like the Caesarian colony at Urso, duoviri and aediles were required to contribute 2000 sesterces towards the cost of the public games. Inscriptions from other cities record sums that typically range from 3000 to 35,000 sesterces. At Calama in Roman Numidia, a newly elected pontifex"
"and the ceremony of the lustration was not performed after the time of Vespasian. The jurists Paulus and Ulpian each wrote works on the census in the imperial period; and several extracts from these works are given in a chapter in the ""Digest"" (50 15). The word ""census"", besides the conventional meaning of ""valuation"" of a person's estate, has other meaning in Rome; it could refer to: Keeping the public morals (""regimen morum"", or in the empire ""cura morum"" or ""praefectura morum"") was the second most important branch of the censors' duties, and the one which caused their office to"