62 Bjornlie
on either the suitability of the individual or the magistrate’s availability at a
given moment. In the Roman administration of the 4th and 5th centuries the
comes sacrarum largitionum had a role of chief importance, exercising author-
ity over the mint (and thereby over the distribution of donatives to the military
and benefactions of the ruler to civilians), mines (linked to coin production at
mints), the production of royal vestments, and customs and taxes from foreign
trade.72 Despite the fact that the formula for the comes sacrarum largitionum
in the Variae (6.7) outlines these same traditional competences, numerous
cases make it clear that this minister’s duties were regularly appointed to other
officials. With respect to the oversight of goods associated with foreign trade,
specific cases could be delegated to the praefectus praetorio (Variae 1.34) and
the comes siliquatariorum (Variae 2.12). Similarly, the comes patrimonii nos-
tri could be directed to search for new gold mines.73 Where it appears that
the ships of the state (dromonarii) pertained to the authority of the comes
sacrarum largitionum (Variae 2.31), it is also clear that matters pertaining to
the fleet could be handled by the comes privatarum (Variae 4.15), the praefectus
praetorio (Variae 5.16–17), or the comes patrimonii nostri (5.18–20). A similar
blurring of roles may be seen in the case of the comes privatarum, the formula
for which included duties concerning laws pertaining to slaves, sexual moral-
ity, the protection of the dead, intestate land, and the discovery of abandoned
treasure.74 In contrast to the duties ascribed in the formula for this post, the
Variae describe the comes privatarum in various instances providing a water
surveyor with a salary drawn from the annona (3.53), crediting the accounts
of agents of grain shipments in compensation for shipwreck (4.7), investigat-
ing quarrels between the taxpayers (possessores) and local officials (curiales)
of a civitas (4.11), and providing provisions for the army posted in Pannonia
Sirmiensis (4.13), all activities more regularly undertaken by the praetorian
prefect. Similarly, the Variae often describe other officials engaged in activi-
ties more properly pertaining to the authority of the comes privatarum: the
investigation of grave robbing by a Gothic comes (4.18), the investigation of the
status of intestate property by a Gothic saio (4.32) or a governor (consularis)
(5.24), an investigation into reports of buried treasure by a Gothic saio (4.34),
and handling a case of adultery by a Gothic dux (5.33). With respect to the
comes patrimonii, whose authority extended to the management and collec-
tion of rents from properties owned by the Amal family (and the supply of
the court with provisions from those properties), it appears that his authority
72 Jones, Later Roman Empire, pp. 369–70, 427–38, 624–5.
73 Variae 9.3, ed. Mommsen.
74 Variae 6.8, ed. Mommsen.