Vigintisexviri

The vigintisexviri (sg. vigintisexvir; lit. 'twenty-six men') were a college (collegium) of minor magistrates (magistratus minores) in the Roman Republic. The college consisted of six boards:^[1]

• the decemviri stlitibus judicandis – 10 magistrates who judged lawsuits, including those dealing with whether a man was free or a slave;^[2]
• the tresviri capitales, also known as nocturni – three magistrates who had a police function in Rome, in charge of prisons and the execution of criminals;^[3]
• the tresviri monetales or tresviri aere argento auro flando feriundo – three magistrates who were in charge of striking and casting bronze, silver and gold (minting coins);^[4]
• the quattuorviri viis in urbe purgandis – four magistrates overseeing road maintenance within the city of Rome;
• the duoviri viis extra urbem purgandis – two magistrates overseeing road maintenance near Rome; and
• the four praefecti Capuam Cumas – praefecti sent to Capua and Cumae in Campania to administer justice there.^[1]

Being a member of the vigintisexviri was a prerequisite to the quaestorship after the reforms of Sulla.^[5] The label used for these magistrates may only have been introduced after Sullan times, but the first of the constituent boards may date back to the third century BC.^[1]

The duoviri viis extra urbem purgandis and the four praefecti Capuam Cumas were abolished by Augustus c. 13 BC, reducing the vigintisexviri to the vigintiviri.^[1] In AD 13, the senate restricted eligibility, ordaining that only equites should be eligible to the college of the then-vigintiviri.^[6] The remaining boards were not abolished entirely until at least the third century.^[1]

References

Citations

1. Purcell 2012.
2. Drummond 2012.
3. Oxford Classical Dictionary 1999, "police".
4. Melville-Jones 1990, "mint magistrates".
5. Brennan 2012.
6. Smith 1875.

Sources

• Brennan, T Corey (2012). "cursus honorum". In Hornblower, Simon; Spawforth, Antony; Eidinow, Esther (eds.). The Oxford classical dictionary (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 400. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.1965. ISBN 978-0-19-954556-8. OCLC 959667246.
• Drummond, A (2012). "decemviri stlitibus iudicandis". In Hornblower, Simon; Spawforth, Antony; Eidinow, Esther (eds.). The Oxford classical dictionary (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 400. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.2051. ISBN 978-0-19-954556-8. OCLC 959667246.
• Melville-Jones, John R. (1990). A dictionary of ancient Roman coins. London: Seaby. ISBN 1-85264-026-X. OCLC 25283897.
• Hornblower, Simon; Spawforth, Antony, eds. (1996). The Oxford classical dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford. ISBN 0-19-866172-X. OCLC 34284310.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Purcell, N (2012). "vigintisexviri, vigintiviri". In Hornblower, Simon; Spawforth, Antony; Eidinow, Esther (eds.). The Oxford classical dictionary (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 1551. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.6807. ISBN 978-0-19-954556-8. OCLC 959667246.
• Smith, William, ed. (1875). "vigintisexviri". A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. London: John Murray. p. 983. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.