| Roman Law & Government |
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The Cursus Honorum was a sequence of government offices held by male citizens, usually of the patrician class, who undertook the responsibility -- which they were expected to do -- of government service. One began the cursus at age 18 to 20 with a prerequisite of minimum property holdings of over one million sesterces, which was required to qualify for eventual membership in the senate. The variety of offices gave the man diverse experience and increasing responsibility in military and civilian affairs, in Rome and in Rome's provinces. Most of these offices were held for one year only, and a candidate could not run again for a position he had already held until 10 years had passed.
The first office that a young man typically would run for was a post on the Vigintivirate as one of 20 serving on commissions for the mint, roads management, or legal duties.
The next step would be to acquire two to three years of experience as military tribune in a legion.
At age 30 (or 25 after Augustus' reign) the next position one was eligible to run for was quaestor, or treasurer, which also gave immediate admission to the rank of senator.
After quaestorship came two years of service either as tribune of the plebs or as aedile, a kind of public works commissioner.
At age 39 (or age 30 in the empire) one could run for praetor.
After praetorship, one usually served in one of the provinces as propraetor (governor).
At age 42 under the Republic, one could finally run for consul, which was the peak of service. During the empire, a senator of plebeian origin -- a so-called novus homo -- could become consul but usually not before 42 years of age, whereas a patrician could do the same at age 33. To gain an office "during one's year" was to be elected to that particular office at the earliest age possible. In 63 BC, Cicero, who was a novus homo, was elected consul -- and took great pride in the fact -- "during his year."
After serving as consul one could stand for censor or serve as proconsul in the provinces.
Joan Jahnige, May 2002
Sources for Roman Law and Government pages
Justinian: The Digest of Roman Law, translated by C.F. Kilbert, Penquin Classics, 1979.
Legal Latin, Dr. R. Masciantonio, American Classical League.
Life and Law of Rome, A.J. Crook, Cornell University Press 1967.
As the Romans Did, Jo Ann Shelton, Oxford University Press 1988, pp. 242-8, 277.
Children of Romulus, G.B. Cobbold, Longman Press 1995 pp. 137-8.
The Romans, Karl Christ, University of California Press 1984 pp. 121-132.
Web site: www.jura.uni-sb.de/Rechtsgeschichte/Ius.Romanum.
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