Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Local magistrates
#1
I’m reading a fascinating book at the moment, but the author frequently uses titles of provincial, religious and rural magistrates that I can’t figure out. Some appear to be Greek and others Latin and it is possible that the list below includes the same magistrate in two languages. Some of them I can guess based on the context (hence my presumed definitions below), but others I have no idea. Is anyone familiar with these? Are my guesses correct?

agoranomos – control market prices
archiereus – priest of some sort, perhaps chief priest
archontes – chief magistrates
proto archon – first magistrate
argyrotamiai – treasurer (perhaps specifically tasked to buy either grain or oil)
asiarch – only in province of Asia, priest of some sort, maybe provincial cult
boulographoi – similar to a censor
conductor – executive on private estate (or perhaps imperial estate), not government title; a lessee who subleases parcels of land for rent
defensor – [strike]executive on private estate (or perhaps imperial estate), not government title[/strike]; someone who defends another person in a trial
duoviri – Literally, "two men"; these are local magistrates. Singular: duovir or sometimes duumvir.
duoviri quinquennales – quinquennales simply means that they were elected every five years
galatarch – priest of some sort, maybe Galatian provincial cult
grammateus – secretary
hierophant – priest of some sort
kosmetai –
magister – generic term for magistrate; ("master") covers a multitude of high offices, civil and military
phylarch – a middle manager of some type
politographoi – something about composition of municipal citizenship
pragmateutai - executive on private estate (or perhaps imperial estate), not government title
sebastophant – priest of imperial cult (Sebasto… emperor?)
tamiai – treasurer (perhaps specifically tasked to buy either grain or oil)
timetai – similar to a censor

These following are stranger to me. They may not be magistrates at all but instead some obscure definition of municipal status or maybe even citizenship status. I can’t figure out if they refer to people or places.
chorion –
misthotai – Apparently the Greek version of the conductores
oikonomos –

New information in bold; bad guesses on my part are struck out.
David J. Cord
www.davidcord.com
Reply
#2
Quote:Is anyone familiar with these?
Erm, I'll have a go at the Roman ones.

Quote:conductor – executive on private estate (or perhaps imperial estate), not government title
Yup, basically a lessee who subleases parcels of land for rent.

Quote:defensor – executive on private estate (or perhaps imperial estate), not government title
Basically someone who defends another person in a trial.

Quote:duoviri –
Literally, "two men"; these are local magistrates. The Romans were keen on collegiality in high office (two consuls, for example). Singular: duovir or sometimes duumvir.

Quote:duoviri quinquennales –
The qualification quinquennales simply means that they were elected every five years.

Quote:magister – generic term for magistrate
Yup, magister ("master") covers a multitude of high offices, civil (e.g. magister epistularum, "master of the emperor's correspondence") and military (e.g. magister equitum, "master of the horse").

Those are the Latin ones, at least.
posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
Reply
#3
Quote:misthotai –
Apparently the Greek version of the conductores (see above).
posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
Reply


Forum Jump: