Praeses (governor)
Praeses (plural: praesides , from the Latin prae-sidere "to sit") was the title of governor of a Roman province during the Roman Empire and Late Antiquity .
Definition and ranking
Since the end of the 1st century AD, the term praeses (for example with Pliny the Younger , Tacitus or Suetonius ) was imprecisely applied to governors whose official title at that time was proconsul or legatus Augusti pro praetore . But Praeses only became an official title of the imperial administration from the 3rd century onwards.
After the Diocletian administrative reform at the end of this century, the praesides formed the lowest level of the provincial governors. Late antiquity governors were not ranked among themselves. The
- Proconsuls were considered viri spectabiles (highest rank) at court , the
- consulares as viri clarissimi (senators) and the
- praesides as viri perfectissimi (knight).
At the end of the 4th century, with one exception, the praesides also became clarissimi .
tasks
Around the year 400 there were about 70 praesides in the entire Roman Empire . They held judicial as well as administrative functions and were (with the exception of the provinces of Isauria and Mauretania Caesariensis ) in contrast to earlier Roman governors only responsible for civil administration. The border troops were subordinate to them until Diocletian, after which they no longer held any military command. They officiated as judges for all provincials who were not military, clergy, or senator. For minor cases, the Praeses appointed its own judge, the iudex pedaneus .
The Praesides took care of the collection of monetary taxes and taxes in kind, both from domains and private individuals, controlled the state mail ( cursus publicus ) and all work on the public infrastructure (roads, bridges, water pipes, etc.). They also took charge of the municipal authorities monitored and everything that fell within the realm of public order. Not only did they keep in touch with the vicars and prefects , but they often turned to the emperor himself, as there was no regulated channel of authority.
Normally these praesides had their official seat in the praetorium (or regia ) of the provincial metropolis, but it was part of their duties to visit all cities in their province regularly and to hold court days. These meetings were public.
Appointment and term of office
The praesides were appointed by the emperor at the suggestion of the Praefectus praetorio , but could also be dismissed by the Praefectus praetorio in the event of serious abuse of office . The term of office was usually a year or two. This high position (dignitas) was only awarded for a few years because the emperor endeavored to distribute the associated income and privileges among as many of his favorites as possible. Many former public officials did not remain in the civil service either, but returned to their private lives after their term in office.
literature
- Alexander Demandt : History of Late Antiquity. The Roman Empire from Diocletian to Justinian, 284-565 AD. CH Beck, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-406-44107-6 , pp. 217-219.
- Adolf Lippold : Praeses. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 4, Stuttgart 1972, column 1112 f.