Consilium principis

The consilium principis (dt. Council of the Princeeps ) was a body first established under the Roman Emperor Augustus . It initially served to control senatorial legislation and existed until the end of the principate with the reign of Emperor Diocletian . The Consilium Principis gained in importance over time, until it had become the most important organ of imperial administration in the third century .

The consilium principis arose from the followers known as amici principis (dt. Friends of the princeeps), who Augustus gathered around him. They served Augustus as a kind of personal staff, the expansion of which also offered opportunities for social advancement. Especially members of the Roman equestrian order were often represented in the consilium principes .

Through the consilium principis , essential bills were introduced into the Senate, which then developed into an important legislative body in the Roman state. While senators gained prestige through repeated reductions in the number of members of the Senate (28, 18 and 11 BC), the emperor's influence on this body grew.

literature

• John Anthony Crook : Consilium Principis. Imperial Councils and Counselors from Augustus to Diocletian , Cambridge 1956.
• Theodor Mommsen : Römisches Staatsrecht , Vol. 3, Leipzig 1888, pp. 902–904 and 988–992.