80 The Imperial Government
bona damnatorum(propertyofpersonscondemnedoncriminalcharges)im-
mediately after a condemnation.^56 Cato theYounger, however, appears to
haveactedonhisowninitiativeinrecoveringpublicmoneywhichhadbeen
distributedbySullatohisfollowers.^57 Similarly,ina.d.56wefindaquaestor
oftheAerariumblamed‘‘forhavingextendedhisrightofcompulsorysale
[ius hastae]oppressivelytowardsthehelpless.’’^58 But,morethanthat,wefind
themexercisingajurisdictionoftheirown.TheearliestreferenceisDio’sde-
scriptionofhowClaudiususedtositbesidemagistratesastheyheldtrial—
the consuls and praetors and in particular those in charge of the finance.^59
ThenwehavePliny’saccountofhimselfatworkasprefectoftheAerarium:
‘‘Igivejurisdiction,subscribepetitions,makeuptherecords,andwritein-
numerable—quiteunliterary—letters.’’Thefirsttwophrasesbothimplythe
exerciseofjurisdiction,andtheimplicationisconfirmedbythewordswhich
Euphrates,quotedinthesameletter,usestodescribePliny’slabours‘‘con-
ductingpublicbusiness,presidingattrials,judging,displaying,andadmin-
isteringjustice.’’^60
Itispossiblethatsuchjurisdictionbeganintheperiod(23b.c.–a.d.44)
whenthepostwasheldbypraetors,andonereferencefromthisperiodseems
to show them issuing an edict. Suetonius records that Claudius before his
accession,‘‘havingbeenforcedtopayhisentryfeetoapriestlycollege,was
reduced to such straitened circumstances that he was unable to meet the
obligation incurred to the Aerarium; whereupon by edict of the prefects
[edictum praefectorum] his property was advertised for sale to meet the de-
ficiency in accordancewith the law regulating confiscations [lex praediato-
ria]’’^61 —theterm‘‘prefects’’isusedanachronistically.Casesseemtohavebeen
heard at the Aerarium itself; Nero, according to Suetonius, removed cases
‘‘fromtheAerarium...totheForumandthecourtoftherecuperatores[asses-
sors].’’^62 Thatshouldmeanthatthejurisdictionitselfwastransferredtothere-
cuperatores;butthenPlinyinthePanegyricwaxesenthusiasticoverthechange
intheAerariumsincethedeathofDomitian:‘‘Whatapleasuretoseepeace
- Livy4,15,8;38,60,8;Dion.Hal.11,46,4.
- Plut.,Cato Minor17,6.SeeDio47,6,4.
- Tac.,Ann.13,28,5.
- Dio60,4,4.ThereferenceinDio’sphraseismadeclearbyotherpassages—43,48;
53,2,1;60,10,3. - Pliny,Ep.1,10,9–10.
- Suet.,Div. Claud.9,2.CompareLexMalacitana(CILII1964ILS6089Ricco-
bono,FIRAI^2 24),col.4,ll.50–51. - Suet.,Nero17.Cf.Suet.,Dom.9.