Rome, the Greek World, and the East, Vol. 2 - Government, Society, and Culture in the Roman Empire

The Aerarium and Its Officials 83

thereference,itseems,canonlybetoasumvotedbytheSenatefromthe
Aerarium.
Withemperorsandgovernorsalike,therefore,theevidenceistooslight
foranyconclusionastowhattheregularsystemwas.Butsomelightisthrown
onthepositionbyreferencestotheprocedureknownasdelatioadaerarium,
thatis,theregistrationattheAerariumofthenamesofsubordinateofficials
bytheirsuperiors,asawayofregularizingtheirpositionandensuringtheir
pay.The clearest evidence comes from the decree of the Senate of 11b.c.,
recordedbyFrontinus,whichestablishedthepostofcurator aquarumandthe
staffforit—‘‘andthatwhateverattendantsitispermittedtothewatercom-
missioners [curatores aquarum] by this decree of the Senate to employ, they
shallreportthemtotheAerarium[ad Aerarium deferrent]inthenexttendays;
andasforthosewhosenamesshallbethusreported[quiqueitadelatiessent],to
themthepraetorsoftheAerariumshallgrantandallocate,asannualrations,
asmuchastheprefectsinchargeofcorndistribution[praefectifrumentodando]
arewonttogiveandallot.’’^83 Bycontrast,CiceroinCiliciacarriesoutthe
process ofdelatioretrospectively,while preparing hisrationes(accounts) for
deposit—‘‘asforbenefits,beinformed,thatbymemilitarytribunes,prefects,
and comrades-in-arms—so long as they were mine—have been registered
[at the Aerarium].’’^84 The process was evidently not automatic, and to be
‘‘delated’’seemsnormallytohavebeenaspecialfavour.CicerosaysofBal-
bus‘‘thatCaesarwhenhewaspraetorandconsulregisteredhimaspraefectus
fabrum[prefectofengineers].’’^85 Atticusrefused‘‘prefecturesdelataebymany
praetorsandconsuls’’(multorum consulum praetorumque praefecturas delatas),or
ratheracceptedthehonourbutrefusedboththedutiesandthepay.^86
Early imperial documents confirm the honorific nature of thedelatio:
Q.AemiliusSecundus,inAugustus’reign,apraefectusfabrum‘‘reportedtothe
Aerariumbytwoconsuls’’;^87 C.JuliusAquila‘‘registeredtwiceattheAera-
rium aspraefectus fabrumby the consul’’ ([pr]aef. fabr. bis in aerarium delatus a
cos.);^88 ClaudiusChionis‘‘registeredattheAerariumastravellingcompan-
ionofaproconsulofAsia’’inthefirstcentury.^89 Surprisingly,wealsofind

83. Frontinus,De aquae ductu100.
    84.Fam.5,20,7.
    85.Pro Balbo63.


84. Nepos,Att.6.
    87.CILIII6687ILS2683.SeePIR^2 A406.
    88.CILIII 6983 ILS5883 IGRIII 83. See H. G. Pflaum,Carrières procuratoriennes
    (Paris,1960–61),no.21.
    89.ILS8860OGIS494.Revisedtextandcommentary,Ins. Didyma272.