Here is a listing of the more obscure Roman Titles and descriptions of their duties and meanings, kindly provided to the LA_Talk list by Father Eduardo de Borbon. Organized and clarified by Kimberly Wajer-Scott.
| Roman Titles |
| Title |
Description |
| Aediles |
"Attendants/Surveyors" Assistants to the tribunes. They were entrusted with the care of Rome's public buildings and temples, also with dismantling private ones if they became a danger. They also helped to distribute Rome's supply of grains to the plebians. |
| Aediles Curules |
"Circus Surveyors/Attendants" The Aediles Curules were appointed by the Senate from patricians when the normal plebian Aediles refused to organize a circus. They were given watch over markets, and circuses in their Respective areas. |
| Apparitores |
"Servant" General name for servants to the magistrates of Rome, they were in many categories. |
| Apparitores Accensi |
"Servant of Order" Summoned persons to court, announced public time, and kept order in assemblies. |
| Apparitores Carnifex |
"Servant of Carnal affairs" Torturer, and put non-citizens to death. |
| Apparitores Coactores |
Collected taxes from farmers and marketplaces. |
| Apparitores Interpretes |
Assigned to magistrates, officials, and merchants who did not speak the language of the provincials to assist them in their duties and to translate for them. |
| Apparitores Lictores |
Persons who punished citizens most often by cuffing their hands and legs. Also, made sure proper respect is shown for magistrate and keeping order in the curia. |
| Apparitores Praecones |
Announcers often at games, marketplaces, funerals, and official events who relayed commands. |
| Apparitores Scribae |
Notaries they copied out laws, commands, any official document. Named after the office they were assigned to. |
| Apparitores Stator |
an attendee to the provincial magistrates who performed their more mediocre task as carrying messages and such. |
| Apparitores Strator |
Equeries most often the Emperor's, who maintained his steed, brought it to him when summoned, and helped him to mount the animal. |
| Apparitores Viator |
very similar to lictors they attended magistrates, sometimes helped to bound persons, and relay messages to the curia, also to summon senators to meetings. |
| Censor |
"Assessor/Census-Man" Two officials almost always patrician in the past, responsible for keeping records on Rome's population, their property, etc. The also had the power to exclude from the list of Roman Citizens by their judgment of your character and Roman propriety. They were also in charge of the states finances so when you came for census, you were also paying the taxes owed to the state. |
| Centumviri |
"The Hundred Men" A court most exclusively limited to Rome and Italy that sat under magistrates in deciding and metting out affairs of judgement and transgression against the law, often performing the same duties as a judex. |
| Cloacae |
"Sewer Men/Drain Men" Assistants to the Aediles. Cloacae helped them maintain the cleanliness and repair Rome's streets and roads. |
| Comitita |
"Commitee/Assembly" The assemblies of the people divided into the colata, curiata, centuriata, and tributa. The Comitita Colata is where people assembled to hear things being announced such as new legislation. The Comitata Curiata actually voted and decided on such measure brought before the people. The Comitata Centuriata was an attempt to combine the different peoples for codification for military and tax purposes. The Comitita Tributa was mainly responsible for electing lower magistrates from the tribes of Rome, judge offenses to the people, and only limited legislative powers for the tribes. |
| Curator |
"Keeper/Protector" A position appointed by the Praetor or Consul to oversea a minor's legal and propietal affairs when he needs to speak in his own stead due to the death of guardian or patriarch. They had complete control of said minor's interests and properties. |
| Decemviri |
"Ten Men" The ten men who were magistrates with various powers over the Roman citizens. The Decemviri Legibus Scribendis drew up the code of laws for Romans to follow. Decemviri Agris Dividundis were responsible for diving up land between Romans. Decemviri Litibus were magistrates that provded over civil litigation. Decemviri Sacris Faciundis were religous members who watched over and read the Syllibine texts at command of the curia. |
| Illustres |
"The Illustrious/The Famous" The highest office of magistrates, they consisted of consuls, patricians, and the various praetors who could only be tried by the emperor. The other two lower orders of magistrates were the Spectabilies and the Clarrisimi containing the other offices of magistrate. |
| Interrex |
"King Between" Appointed to call elections for consuls, dictators, or kings in early Rome. These men were drawn from the ten most prestigious members of the senate. |
| Judex |
"Judge/Arbiter" Appointed by the magistrates to investigate the facts when they often would not. Had the power to oversee the proceedings, and pass judgement on participating parties. Often appointed singularly but sometimes in groups. Sometimes magistrates or kings would sit in proceedence of a judex, or
appoint themselves the lead in a group of judicias. |
| Judex Pedaneus |
A special court who received cases only referred by the praetors or other high body magistrates. |
| Magistratus |
the authority to interpret and pass laws originally held by the king and then two consuls and subsequently handed out to most of the Roman high offices. They were divided between Magistratus Majores and Magistratus Minores. In essence those with jurisdiction, and those without. The majores were the consuls, proconsuls, and quaesitors always from the patricians class. The minores were often plebians and handled matter the majores did not wish too. |
| Praefectus Annonae |
"Director of the Produce" Only appointed when the empire or republic ran low on grains, he set the prices and amounts distrubuted. |
| Praefectus Classis |
"Director of the Navy" Admirals of the fleet. |
| Praefectus Praetorio |
"Director of the Praetorians" The commander of the emperor's bodyguard. |
| Praefectus Urbi |
"Director of the City" Warden of the city, responsible for its maintenance in absence of the early Roman kings. |
| Quaestor |
"Inquisitor" Divided into two types: The Quasetores Parricidii and Quasetores Classici. |
| Quasetores Parricidii |
"Murder/Treason Inquisitor" They were responsible for accusing those guilty of any capital offense, mostly murder, and led them into execution; they were always two in number. |
| Quasetores Classici |
"Inquisitors of the Highest Class/Auditors" These were responsible for the maintenance of public funds, basically as paymasters of the senate but also responsible for the accomodations of foreign dignitaries and visitors. |
| Quinqueviri |
"Five Men" Magistrates appointed to watch over the city after sunset. The Quinqueveviri Mensarii were often appointed as public bankers who watched over the moneylending activities of Early Rome. They were also appointed to supervise the formation of colonies, and maintenance of city fortifications. |
| Redemptores |
"Contractors/Ransomers" Assistants to the Aediles, redemptores were in charge of distrubting the water supply. |
| Tutor |
"Tutor/Teacher" Much like a curator, it is appointed by the patriarch of the family to watch over their heirs or minors interest if they cannot. Also responsible for the physical safety, and education of the minor as well. They did not have complete control of minor's interest as a Curator did. |
| Vigintisexviri |
"Twenty-six Men" The twenty six magistrates (minores) who were inclusive of expansive duties of metting out justice, maintenance of roads, adjucating public funds, and giving of food. Other classes of magistrates often belonged to the Vigintisexviri such as curatores and decemviri. |
