Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

AEDILES. AEDILES. 19
and of bulying and selling in general. Accordingly, not have been of any great importance after the
their edicts had mainly, or perhaps solely, reference institution of a praefectus annonae by Augustus
to the rules as to buying and selling, and contracts there is no doubt that it existed for several cenfor bargain and sale. They were the foundation turies, and at least as late as the time of Gordian.
of the actiones aediliciae, among which are included The aediles belonged to the class of the
the actio redhibitoria, and quanti minoris. (Dig. 21. minores magistratus. Dionysius states that the
tit. 1. DeAedilicio Edicto; Gell. iv. 2.) A great aediles were originally chosen at the comitia
part of the provisions of the aediles' edict relate to curiata (ix. 43); but this is not probable. The
the buying and selling of slaves. The persons plebeian aediles were originally chosen at the
both of the plebeian and curule aediles were sa- comitia centuriata, but afterwards at the comitia
crosencti. (Liv. iii. 55.) tributa (Dionys. vi. 90. ix. 43. 49; Liv. ii. 56,
It seems that after the appointment of the 57), in which comitia the curule aediles also were
curule aediles, the functions formerly exercised chosen, at the same time (Plut. iMlarius, 5); but
by the plebeian aediles were exercised, with some it appears that there was a separate voting for
few exceptions, by all the aediles indifferently. the curule and the plebeian aediles, and that the
Within five days after being elected or entering curule aediles were elected first. It appears that
on office, they were required to determine by lot, until the lex annalis was passed, a Roman citizen
or by agreement among themselves, what parts of might be a candidate for any office after completing
the city each should take under his superintend- his twenty-seventh year. This lex annalis, which
ence; and each aedile alone had the care of was passed at the instance of the tribune L.
looking after the paving and cleansing of the Villius Tappulus, B. c. 180, fixed the age at which
streets, and other matters, it may be presumed, of each office might be enjoyed. (Liv. xl. 44.)
the same local character within his district. (Tabul. The passage of Livy does not mention what were
Herael. ed. Mazoch.) the ages fixed by this law; but it is collected
In the superintendence of the public festivals from various passages of Roman writers, that the
and solemnities, there was a further distinction age fixed for the aedileship was thirty-six. This,
between the two sets of aediles. Many of these at least0 was the age at which a man could be a
festivals, such as those of Flora (Cic. Verr. v. 14; candidate for the curule aedileship, and it does not
Ovid. Fast. v. 278, &c.) and Ceres, were superin- appear that there was a different rule for the
tended by either set of aediles indifferently; but plebeian aedileship. In Cicero's time, the aediles
the plebeian games (plebeii ludi) were under the were elected some time in July, the usual place of
superintendence of the plebeian aediles (Liv. xxxi. election was the Field of Mars (Campus Martius),
50.), who had an allowance of money for that and the presiding magistrate was a consul.
purpose; and the fines levied on the pecuarii, The aediles existed under the emperors; but
and others, seem to have been appropriated to their powers were gradually diminished, and their
these anlong other public purposes. (Liv. x. 23; functions exercised by new officers created by the
xxvii. 6; Ovid. Fast. v. 278, &c.) The celebra- emperors. After the battle of Actium, Augustus
tion of the Ludi magni or Romani, of the Ludi appointed a praefeetus urbi, who:exercised the
scenici, and the Ludi Megalesii or Megalenses, general police- which had formerly been one of the
belonged specially to the curule aediles (Liv. duties of the a;ediles. Augustus also took from
xxxi. 50; and the Didascaliae to the plays of the aediles, or exercised himself, the office of
Terence), and it was on such occasions that they superintending the religious rites, and the banishoften incurred a prodigious expense, with the view ing from the city of all foreign ceremonials; he
of pleasing the people and securing their votes in also assumed the superintendence of the temples,
future elections. This extravagant expenditure c~ and thus may be said to have destroyed the aedilethe aediles arose after the close of the second ship by depriving it of its old and original funcPunic war, and increased with the opportunities tion. This will serve to explain the fact menwhich individuals had of enriching themselves tioned by Dion Cassius (lv. 24), that no one
after the Roman arms were carried into Greece, was willing to hold so contemptible an office, and
Africa, and Spain. Even the prodigality of the em- Augustus was therefore reduced to the necessity
perors hardly surrpassed that of individual curule of compelling persons to take it: persons were acaediles under the republic; such as C. Julius cordingly chosen by lot, out of those who had
Caesar (Plut. Caesar, 5) afterwards the dictator, served the office of quaestor and tribune; and this
P. Cornelius Lentulus Spinther; and, above all, was dmle more than once. The last recorded inM. Aemnilius Scaurus, whose expenditure was not stance of the splendours of the aedileship is the
limited to bare show, but comprehended objects administration of Agrippawho volunteered totake
of public- utility, as the reparation of walls, dock- the office, and repaired all the public buildings and
yards, ports, and aquaeducts. (Cic. de Qff ii. 17; all the roads at his own expense, without drawing
Plin. HI. N. xxxiii. 3, xxxvi. 15.) An instance is anything from the treasury. (Dion Cass. xlix. 43;
mentioned by Dion Cassius (xliii. 48) of the Ludi Plin. H. N. xxxvi. 15.) The aedileship had,
Megalesii being superintended by the plebeian however, lost its true character before this time.
aediles; but it was done pursuant to a senatus Agrippa had already been consul before he accepted
conlsultum, and thus the particular exception con- the office of aedile, nltd his munificent expenditure
firms the general rule. in this nominal office was the close of the splendour
In B. c. 45, Julius Caesar caused two curule of the aedileship. Augustus appointed the curule
aediles and four plebeian aediles to be elected; aediles specially to the office of putting olt fires,
end thenceforward, at least so long as the office of and placed a body of 600 slaves at their command;
aedile was of any importance, six aediles were but the praefecti vigilum afterwards performed this
annually elected. The two new plebeian aediles duty. In like manner the curatores viarum were
were called Cereales, and their duty was to look appointed by him to superintend the roads near
after the supply of corn. Though their office may the city, and the quatuorviri to superintend those
c2