Equo Publico

  • The Equo Publico was the Career Path for the Roman Equestrian Class which consisted of three levels called Offices.
  • The Patrician Class had their own separate Career Path called the Cursus Honorum.

First Office

  • Administrator in local government Or Priests (Augures) for a few years.
    • Aediles or Duumviri (Administrators)
    • Augures (Priests)

Second Office

  • Military Officer for 10 years:
    • Tres Militae: ‘The Three Services’
    • This was the standard career path in the Roman Army, and each posting was for 3-4 years.
      The minimum requirement was for 10 years service in total before being appointed to a Senior Army or Administrative Post:

      • I. Praefectus of a Cohors (Auxiliary Infantry Regiment) c. 10,000 Denarii p.a.
      • II. Tribunus Militum (Senior Staff Officer) in a Regiment, of whom 5 or 6 were Equestrians.
      • III. Praefectus of an Ala (Auxiliary Cavalry Regiment) Paid c. 10,000 Denarii p.a.
      • IV. Praefectus of an Ala Milliaria (Double strength Ala) (Hadrian introduced this as a fourth service)

Third Office

  • The following were Senior Administrative Postings under Augustus:
  • Reserved for the Senators only (who were paid significantly more than the Equestrians):
      • Governors of Provinces
      • Praefectus Urbanus
        • Also called the Praefectus Urbi meaning ‘The Prefect of the City of Rome’.
        • The Prefect was also the Prefect of the Cohortes Urbanae, an Anti-Riot Police force for Rome, instituted by Augustus to counterbalance the Power of the Praetorian Guard.
  • Reserved for the Equestrians in the Provinces:
    • Procurator Augusti:
      • Governor of smaller Provinces, and Provinces within Provinces.
      • Paid 15,000-75,000 Denarii.
    • Praefectus Augusti:
      • Governor of Egypt.
      • Paid c. 75,000 Denarii
      • (Senators and senior Equestrians were not permitted to enter Egypt without Augustus’ permission)
    • Procuratores Augusti:
      • Chief Financial Officers of Imperial Provinces.
      • Deputy Financial Officers of Senatorial Provinces.
      • Duties involved collecting the Taxes and keeping a watchful eye on the Senator.
  • Reserved for the Equestrians at Rome:
    • Praefecti Annonae – Prefect of the Grain Supply.
    • Praefecti Praetorio – Commanders of the Praetorian Guard numbering one to three Praefecti.
    • Praefecti Classis – Admirals of the Imperial Fleets at Misenum and Ravenna.
    • SubPraefecti Classis – Deputy Commanders of the Fleets.
    • Prefect of the Vigiles – the Fire Brigade and Police force.
    • Judices – Judges in the Law Courts.
  • Secretaries of State in the Imperial Secretariat at Rome:
    • ab Epistulis – Secretary of Correspondence.
    • A Rationibus – Secretary of the Treasury.
    • A Cognitionibus – Secretary of Justice and Law.
    • A Studiis – Secretary of Documentation.
    • A Libellis – Secretary of Petitions, which prepared replies to all the requests sent to the Emperor.
    • A Bybliothecis – Secretary of the seven libraries of Rome. Suetonius later held this Office.
    • A Patrimonio – Secretary of the Imperial Properties.
  • If the Equestrians were not promoted to senior office after ten years, then they could continue their careers and remain as a Praefectus of various Auxiliary Units, moving from one Province to another.

The Four Pay Grades of Equestrian Procurators

 

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