The Aerarium and Its Officials 75TheOfficials
ThroughouttheRepublictheAerariumwasinthechargeoftwoquaestors
(Polybiusmentionsthatoneofthemwasinchargeofthekeys).^11 Thenin
45 b.c.,accordingtoDio,JuliusCaesarappointedtwoaediles.^12 Inamajor
laterepublicaninscription,thetabulaHeracleensis,however,wefindperq(uaes-
torem) urb(anum), queive aerario praerit(throughtheurbanquestororthrough
whoeverwillbeinchargeoftheAerarium).^13 In29b.c.Octaviangavethe
Senate the annual choice of twopraefectiof praetorian rank for the post;^14
in23hechangedthesystemagainandhadtwoofthepraetorsoftheyear
selectedbylot,^15 andthisarrangementremaineduntila.d.44.Inthatyear
Claudius,thetraditionalist,gavethejobtotwoquaestorsoncemore,with
thedifferencethattheywereappointedbyhimself,servedforthreeyears,
andwerepromised‘‘exceptionalpromotion’’(extraordinemhonorespromisit)in
advance.^16 Finally,ina.d.56Neroappointedtwopraefecti,selectedbyhim-
selffromamongex-praetors,^17 andthis(withanintervalin69whenpraetors
arefoundincharge)^18 remainedthesystemthereafter.Inthefirstandsec-
ondcenturiesthepostrankedwithpraetorianprovincialcommands,anda
praefectus aerarii(prefectoftheAerarium)couldexpecttoproceed,likePliny
(Pan.92;cf.Ep.9,13,11),directlytotheconsulate.Thelastknownprefect
oftheAerariumheldofficeaboutthemiddleofthefourthcentury.^19
Oftheminorofficialslittleisknownexcepttheirtitles.Inscriptionsre-
vealscribae librarii quaestorii ab aerario(scribes [and] clerks of the quaestor’s
officeattheAerarium),viatoresquaestorii(messengersofthequaestor’soffice),
a tabularius viatorum quaestoriorum ab aerario(arecordkeeperofthequaestor’s
messengers)andapublicus promotus ad tabulas quaestorias transcribendas(apub-
licslavepromotedtotheofficeofcopyingrecordsinthequaestor’soffice).^20
Themostimportantofthem,thescribes,occasionallycomeintothelight
ofhistory;CicerosaysintheVerrines‘‘thepublicrecordsandthefatesofthe
- 23,14,5–6.
- 43,48,3.
13.CILI^2 593ILS6085Riccobono,FIRA^2 I13,ll.46–47. - Tac.,Ann.13,29;Suet.,Div. Aug.36;Dio53,2,1.SeeCILXIV2604ILS965.Cf.
Mommsen,StaatsrechtII^3 ,558,n.1. - Tac.andSuet.(n.14);Dio53,32,2.
- Tac.(n.14);Suet.Div. Claud.24;Dio60,24,1–3;CILVI1403ILS966.
- Tac.,Ann.13,28–29;Dio40,24,1–2.SeeCILVI1945ILS1933.
- Tac.,Hist.4,9.
19.I. L. Alg.I,1286:Forthedate,I. L. Alg.I,1276.CompareCILXI4181ILS1233.
20.Diz. Epig.1,305–7.