Magistrates
- Magistratus A Magistrate or holder of an important political office.
- Magistratus Ordinarii- Officials elected to the usual political offices.
- Cursus Honorum-A series of political offices which had to be held in sequence for
one to become Consul. Usually open only to Patricians (wealthiest class of floman citizens)
since Plebelans (1owest class of Roman citizens) were generally excluded from the Cursus Honorum.
Magistratus Ordinarii
- Term of Office-The term of
all elected Magistrates was one year.
- Tribunes-The Plebeians were
represented by ten Tribunes whom they elected annually to
protect their rights and interests.
Cursus Honorum
- Quaestor-The first office which had to be held in a political career. Each year 20
men were elected to serve as Quaestors, i.e. secretary/treasurers.
- Aedile-Each year four men were elected to serve as Aediles, i.e. managers of public
buildings, services and entertainments. While this was not a required office in the
Cursus Honorum, it was one which allowed a young politician to become popular with
the people by spending his own money to make urban improvements.
- Praetor-The second office which had to be held In a political career. Each year
eight men were elected to serve as Praetors, i.e. judges.
- Consul-The third and highest office of the Cursus Honorum. Each year two men were
elected to serve as Consuls. I.e. Heads of State.
- Censor -Although the office
of Censor was frequently a logical next step for a
Magistrate who had served as Consul, It was not limited
to Patricians who had completed the Cursus Honorum. Every
live years two men were elected to serve as Censors, i.e.
Census Takers and Guardians of the Public Mores (highly
regarded virtues and personal codes of behavior). The
term of office for a Censor was 18 months, and after 339
B.C. It was required by law that one of the Censors be
elected from the ranks of the Plebeians.
Courtesy of "Study Sheets for Latin Cultural Drill Tapes," by Dr. B.F. Barcio, L.H.D.
Pompeiiana, Inc. Indianapolis, IN