Romanæ historiæ anthologia An English exposition of the Romane antiquities, wherein many Romane and English offices are paralleld and divers obscure phrases explained. By Thomas Godwyn Master of Arts: for the vse of Abingdon Schoole.

CHAP. 5.

De Censoribus.

THE Consuls finding themselues encombred with so many businesses of a different nature, did by consent of the Senate choose two peculiar officers called o 1.1 Censores à censendo; because they cessed and valued every mans estate, registring their names, and placing them in a fit century. For it did concerne the Romanes to knowe the number, and likewise the wealth of their people, to the end they might be informed of their owne strength, & so shape their course accordingly, either in vndertaking warres, transplanting Colonies, or in making provision of victuals in time of peace. A second and maine part of their office was in reforming manners to which end they had power to enquire into every mans life. This part of their autoritie was noted out vnto vs by this phrase being called Virgula censoria. If any one had plaied the ill husband, & neglected his farme, or left his vine vntrimmed, the Censors tooke no∣tice thereof. They did Senatu & Tribu movere .i. They did depose Senatours, and pull downe men from a more hono∣rable

Tribe to a lesse honourable. They did punish Capitis diminutione .i. with losse of freedome: and that was three∣fold p 1.2 Maxima, Media, & Minima. The least degree of dis∣franchising was the pulling of a man downe from an high Tribe to a lower. Diminutio media, was an exilement out of the city without the losse of ones freedome. It isq 1.3 com∣monly set downe in this forme of words, Tibi aqua, & igni interdico. Diminutio maxima was the losse of ones Tribe, city, and freedome. These Censors were reputed of the best rancke of Magistrats in Rome: they remained in their office an whole fiue yeares space ordinarily. I say ordinari∣ly, becauser 1.4 through the abuse of their place, the office hath been somtimes made annuall.s 1.5 That fiue yeares space the Romanes did call Lustrum, because they did once in e∣very fiue yeares revolution Lustrare exercitum Romanum, by sacrifice purge the Romane army. Hence we say duo Lu∣stra, 10 yeares; tria Lustra, 15 yeares, &c. The performance of this Lustration belonged also vnto the Censors: for after the Censors had performed the one part of their office in registring the iust valuation of every citizens estate,t 1.6 they did lead a Sow, a Ramme, and a Bull three times about the army, and in the end sacrificed them to Mars: and thus to purge an army, is condere Lustrum; though sometimes con∣dere lustrum doth signifie, to muster an army. These sacrifi∣ces, as likewise all others of the like nature, that is, where∣in there was a Sow, a Ramme, and a Bull sacrificed, were tearmed sometimesu 1.7 Suovetauralia, somtimes Solitauralia, sometimesx 1.8 Taurilia. Moreover it did belong vnto these Censors to farme out the tributs, imposts, tollage, &c.y 1.9 At the fiue yeares end, the acts of both their Censors were re∣gistred vpon bookes of record, which records were laid vp in a certaine religious house dedicated to the Nymphs. Whencez 1.10 Cicero speaking of Clodius, saith, Qui aedem Nympharum incendit vt memoriam publicam, incensis tabu∣lis publicis impressam aboleret.

Notes

• o 1.1

  Fenest. de Magist. Rom. cap. 17.
• p 1.2

  I. Tis••in. in Cic. orat. pro A. Coecinna.
• q 1.3

  I. Camerar. in orat. Cic. pro Muren.
• r 1.4

  Fenest. de Rom. magist. cap. 7.
• s 1.5

  Pomp. Lae∣tus de Rom magist••••. de Censor.
• t 1.6

  Panciroll. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rerum de∣pe••di••arum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉〈◊〉 capiendi mo∣do.
• u 1.7

  Alex. Gen. dier. l. 5. c. 27.
• x 1.8

  Pomp. Lae tus de mag. Rom. cap. de Censor.
• y 1.9

  Pancirol. l. rerum deper∣dit. cap de ci bi capiendi modo.
• z 1.10

  Cic pro Milone.