Smith, William: A smaller dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities (London, 1871)

AENEATORES.

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AERARIUM.

in the cut.) The later poets and artists
represent the aegis as a breast-plate covered
with metal in the form of scales. (See the
right-hand figure.)

AENEATORES, were those who blew upon
wind instruments in the Roman army; namely,
the buccinatoyes, coynicines, and tubicines.
They were also employed in the public games.

AENIGMA (ati'iy/ua), a riddle. It was an
ancient custom among the Greeks to amuse
themselves by proposing riddles at their sym-
posia, or drinking parties. Those who were
successful in solving them received a prize,
which usually consisted of wreaths, cakes,
&c, while those who were unsuccessful were
condemned to drink in one breath a certain
quantity of wine, sometimes mixed with salt
water. Those riddles which have come down
to us are mostly in hexameter verse. The Ro-
mans seem to have been too serious to fine" any
great amusement in riddles.

AENUM, or AHENUM (sc. ras), a brazen
vessel, used for boiling. The word is also
frequently used in the sense of a dyer's cop-
per ; and, as purple was the most celebrated
dye of antiquity, we find the expressions
Sidonium aeniint, Tyrium a'cnum, &c.

AEORA, or EORA (aicopa, euipa), a festival
at Athens, accompanied with sacrifices and
banquets, whence it is sometimes called
eMeurvos. It was probably instituted in
honour of Icarius and his daughter Erigone.

AEKA. [Chronologia.]

AERARII, a class of Roman citizens, who
were not included in the thirty tribes insti-
tuted by Serving Tullius. Although citizens,
they did not possess the suft'ragimn, or right
of voting in the comitia. They were cites
sine suffymjio. They also paid the tribute in
a different manner from the other citizens.
The Aerarians were chiefly artisans and freed-
men. The Caerites, or inhabitants of the
Etruscan town of Caere, who obtained the
franchise in early times, but without the
suffragium, were probably the first body of
aerarians. Any Roman citizen guilty of a
crime punishable by the censors, might be
degraded to the rank of an aerarian ; so that
his civic rights were suspended, at least for
the time that he was an aerarian. All citi-
zens so degraded were classed among the
Caerites; whence we find the expressions
aerariumfacere and in tabulas Caeyitum referre
used as synonymous. Persons who were
made infames likewise became aerarians, for
they lost the jushonorum and the suffragium.
The aerarians had to pay a tributum pro
capite which was considerably higher than
that paid by the other citizens. They were
not allowed to serve in the legions.

AERARII TRIBUXI. [Am Equestre.]

AERARIUM (to S^iJ-otrLOf), the public trea-
sury at Rome, and hence the public money
itself. After the banishment of the kings the
temple of Saturn was employed as the place
for keeping the public money, and it con-
tinued to be so used till the later times of the
empire. Besides the public money and the
accounts connected with it, various other
things were preserved in the treasury; of
these the most important were : — 1. The
standards of the legions. 2. The various
laws passed from time to time, engraven on
brazen tables. 3. The decrees of the se-
nate, which were entered there in books kept
for the purpose, though the original docu-
ments were preserved in the temple of Ceres
under the custody of the aediles. 4. Various
other public documents, the reports and
despatches of all generals and governors of
provinces, the names of all foreign ambassa-
dors that came to Rome, kc. Under the
republic the aerarium was divided into two
parts : the common treasury, in which were
deposited the regular taxes, and from which
were taken the sums of money needed for the
ordinary expenditure of the state ; and the
sacyed treasury [aerarium sanctum or sanc-
titis), which was never touched except in
cases of extreme peril. Both of these trea-
suries were in the temple of Saturn, but in
distinct parts of the temple. The produce of
a tax of five per cent, (ricesima) upon the
value of every manumitted slave, called
aurum vicesimayium, was paid into the sacred
treasury, as well as a portion of the immense
wealth obtained by the Romans in their eon-
quests in the East. Under Augustus the
provinces and the administration of the
government were divided between the senate,
as the representative of the old Eoina^ people,
and the Caesar: all the property of tne former
continued to be called aeyayium, and that of
the latter received the name of fiscits. Au-
gustus also established a third treasury, to
provide for the pay and support of the army,
and this received the name of aerarium militaye.
He also imposed several new taxes to be paid
into this aerarium. In the time of the republic,
the entire management of the revenues of the
state belonged to the senate ; and under the
superintendence and control of the senate the
quaestors had the charge of the aerarium. In
B.C. 28, Augustus deprived the quaestors of
the charge of the treasury and gave it to two
praefects, whom he allowed the senate to
choose from among the praetors at the end of
their ^ear of office. Various other changes
were made with respect to the charge of the
aerarium, but it was eventually entrusted, in
the reign of Trajan, to praefects, who appear
to have held their office for two years.