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

PRAEFECTURA.

307

PRAEFECTUS URBI.

themselves that are taken in war, and Ma-
nubiae is the money realized by their sale.
It was the practice to set up a spear at such
sales, which was afterwards used at all sales
of thing's by a magistratus in the name of
the people. [Sectio.]

PRAEFECTURA. [Coi.onia.]
PRAEFECTUS AERARII. [Aerarium.]
PRAEFECTUS ANNOXAE, the praefect
of the provisions, especially of the corn-
market, was not a regular magistrate under
the republic, but was only appointed in cases
of extraordinary scarcity, when he seems to
have regulated the prices at which corn was
to be sold. Augustus created an officer under
the title of Praefcctus Annonae, who had
jurisdiction over all matters appertaining
to the corn-market, and, like the Praefcctus
Vigilum, was chosen from the equites, and
was not reckoned among the ordinary ma-
gistrates.

PRAEFECTUS AQUARUM. [Aquae
Ductus.]

PRAEFECTUS CASTRORUM, praefect of
the camp, is first mentioned in the reign of
Augustus. There was one to each legion.

PRAEFECTUS CLASSIS, the commander
of a fleet. This title was frequently given
in the times of the republic to the com-
mander of a fleet; but Augustus appointed
two permanent officers with this title, one
of whom was stationed at Ravenna on the
Adriatic, and the other at Misenum on the
Tuscan sea, each having the command of a
fleet.

PRAEFECTUS FABRUJE [Fabri.]
PRAEFECTUS JURI DICUNDO. [Co-

lonia.]

PRAEFECTUS LEGIOXIS. [Exerci-

tus.]

PRAEFECTUS PRAETORIO, was the
commander of the troops who guarded the
emperor's person. [Praktoriani.] This
office was instituted by Augustus, and was
at first only military, and had comparatively
small power attached to it; but under Tibe-
rius, who made Sejanus commander of the
praetorian troops, it became of much greater
importance, till at length the power of these
praefects became only second to that of the
emperors. From the reign of Severus to that
of Diocletian, the praefects, like the vizirs
of the east, had the superintendence of all
departments of the state, the palace, the
army, the finances, and the law : they also
had a court in which they decided cases.
The office of praefect of the praetorium was
not confined to military officers ; it was filled
by Ulpian and Papinian, and other distin-
guished jurists. Originally there were two
praefects; afterwards sometimes one and

sometimes two ; from the time of Commodus
sometimes three, and even four. They were,
as a regular rule, chosen only from the equites;
but from the time of Alexander Severus the
dignity of senator was always joined with
their office.

PRAEFECTUS VIGILUM. [Exeucitus,
p. 171, a.]

PRAEFECTUS URBI, praefect or warden
of the city, was originally called Gustos
Urbis. The name praefcctus urbi does not
seem to have been used till after the time of
the decemvirs. The dignity of custos urbis,
being combined with that of princcps senatus,
was conferred by the king, as he had to
appoint one of the decern primi as pi-inceps
senatus. The functions of the custos urbis,
however, were not exercised except in the
absence of the king from Rome ; and then he
acted as the representative of the king : he
convoked the senate, held the comitia, if
necessary, and on any emergency, might
take such measures as he thought proper ;
in short, he had the imperium in the city.
During the kingly period, the office of custos
urbis was probably for life. Under the re-
public, the office, and its name of custos urbis,
remained unaltered; but in b. c. 487 it was
elevated into a magistracy, to be bestowed
by election. The custos urbis was, in all
probability, elected by the curiae. Persons
of consular rank were alone eligible. In the
earl}' period of the republic the custos urbis
exercised within the city all the powers of
the consuls, if they were absent: he con-
voked the senate, held the comitia, and, in
times of war, even levied civic legions,
which were commanded by him. When the
office of praetor urbanus was instituted, the
wardenship of the city was swallowed up in
it; but as the Romans were at all times
averse to dropping altogether any of their
old institutions, a praefcctus urbi, though a
mere shadow of the former office, was hence-
forth appointed every year, only for the time
that the consuls were absent from Rome for
the purpose of celebrating the Feriae La-
tinae. This praefcctus had neither the power
of convoking the senate nor the right of
speaking in it; in most cases he was a per-
son below the senatorial age, and was not
appointed by the people, but by the consuls.
An office very different from this, though
bearing the same name, was instituted by
Augustus on the suggestion of Maecenas.
This new praefcctus urbi was a regular and
permanent magistrate, whom Augustus in-
vested with all the powers necessary to
maintain peace and order in the city. He
had the superintendence of butchers, bank-
ers, guardians, theatres, &c.; and to enable

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