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

24 AERARIUM. AERARIUM.
that it was spared in the civil wars between tributed among the soldiers was also deposited in
Marius and Sulla, yet Julius Caesar, when he ap- the military treasury.
propriated it to his own use on the breaking out of The distinction between the aerarium and the
the second civil war, B. C. 49, still found in it enor- fiscus continued to exist at least as late as the
mous sums of money. (Plin. L. 1V. xxxiii. 3. s. 17; reign of M. Aurelius (rIb faoatKs, icr alb 87Ju0o- oy',
Dion Cass. xli. 17; Oros. vi 15; Lucan,iii. 155.) Dion Cass. lxxi. 33; Vulcat. Gallic. Avid. Cass.
Upon the establishment of the imperial power 7); but as the emperor gradually concentrated
under Augustus, there was an important change the administration of the whole empire into his
made in the public income and expenditure. He hands, the aerarium likewise became exclusively
divided the provinces and the administration of the under his control, and this we find to have been
government between the senate, as the representa- the case even in the reign of M. Aurelius, when
tive of the old Roman people, and the Caesar: all the distinction between the aerarium and the fiscus
the property of the former continued to be called was still retained. (Dion Cass. lxxi. 33.) When
aerariunm, and that of the latter received the name the aerarium ceased to belong to the senate, this
of fiseus. [FIscus.] The aerarizum consequently distinction between the aerarium and fiscus natureceived all the taxes from the provinces belonging rally ceased also, as both of them were now the
to the senate, and likewise most of the taxes which treasury of the Caesar; and accordingly later
had formerly been levied in Italy itself, such as jurists used the words aerarium and fiscus indisthe revenues of all public lands still remaining in criminately, though properly speaking there was no
Italy, the tax on manumissions, the custom-duties, treasury but that of the Caesar. The senate, howthe water-rates for the use of the water brought ever, still continued to possess the management of
into the city by the aquaeducts, the sewer-rates, the municipal chest (area paublica) of the city.
&c. (Vopisc. Aszrelian. 20.)
Besides the aerar}um and the fiscus, Augustus In the time of the republic, the entire management
established a third treasury, to provide for the pay of the revenues of the state belonged to the senate;
and support of the army, and this received the and under the superintendence and control of the
name of aerariumz nilitare. It was founded in the senate the quaestors had the charge of the aeraconsulship of M. Aemlilius Lepidus and L. Arrun- rium. [S-ENATUS; QUAESTOR.] With the exceptins, A. D. 6, in consequence of the difficulty which tion of the consuls, who had the right of drawing
was experienced in obtaining sufficient funds from from the treasury whatever sums they pleased, the
the ordinary revenues of the state to give the sol- quaestors had not the power to make payments to
diers their rewards upon dismission from service. any one, even to a dictator, without a special order
Augustus paid a very large sum into the treasury from the senate. (Polyb. vi. 12, 13; Liv. xxxviii.
upon its foundation, and promised to do so every 55; Zonar. vii. 13.) In B.C. 45, when no quaesyear. In the Monumentum Ancyranum, Augustus tors were chosen, two praefects of the city had
is said to have paid into the treasury in the con- the custody of the aerarium (Dion. Cass. xliii. 48);
sulship of Aemilius and Arruntius 170 millions of but it doubtless passed again into the hands of the
sesterces; but this sum is probably the entire quaestors, when they were elected again in the
amount which he contributed to it during his whole following year. In their hands it seems to have
reign. As he reigned eight years and a half after remained till B. c. 28, when Augustus deprived
the establishment of the treasury, and would pro- them of it and gave it to two praefects, whom he
bably have made the payments half yearly, he allowed the senate to choose from among the praewould in that case have contributed ten millions of tors at the end of their year of office; but as he
sesterces every half year. He also imposed several suspected that this gave rise to canvassing, he ennew taxes to be paid into this aerarium. (Suet. acted, in B. C. 23, that two of the praetors in office
Auq. 49; Dion Cass. Iv. 23, 24, 25, 32; MAlonu- should have the charge of the aerarium by lot.
smentune Ancyranuzmn, pp. 32, 65, ed. Franzius and (Suet. Octavs. 36; Dion Cass. liii. 2, 32; Tac.
Zunmptius, Berol. 1845.) Of these the most im- Ann. xiii. 29.) They were called praetores aesar7ii
portanlt was the viceseina dereditatiun et legatorsn, (Tac. Annz. i. 75; Frontin. dleAquae Duct. 100) or
a tax of five per cent., which had to be paid by ad aerarcoil, (Orelli, Inser. n. 723). This arrangeevery Roman citizen upon any inheritance or legacy ment colntinued till the reign of Claudius, who
being left to him, with the exception of such as restored to the quaestors the care of the aerarium,
were left to a citizen by his nearest relatives, or such depriving them of certain other offices which they
as were below a certain amount. (Dion Cass. Iv. had received from Augustus (Tac. Ann. xiii. 29;
25, lvi. 28; Plin. Panzeg. 37-40; Capitol. M. Suet. Clatd. 24; Dion. Cass. Ix. 24); but as their
lWnton. 11.) This tax was raised by Caracalla to age seemed too young for so grave a trust, Nero
ten per cent., but subsequently reduced by Macri- took it fiom them and gave it to those who had
nlus to five (Dion Cass. lxxvii. 9, lxxviii. 12), and been praetors, and who received the title of psraeeventually abolished altogether. (Cod. 6. tit. 33. fecti aerarii. (Tac. Asnn. xiii. 28, 29.) During
s. 3.) There was also paid into the aerarium mili- the latter part of the reign of Trajan, or the begintare a tax of one per cent. upon every thing sold at nsing of that of Vespasian, a fresh change seems to,
auctions (cezntesima reruzs venaliuscm), reduced by have been made, for we read of praetores aerarii
Tiberius to half per cent. (ducesntesisma), and after- in the time of the latter (Tac. Hist. iv. 9); but in'
wards abolished by Caligula altogether for Italy the reign of Trajan, if not before, it was again en(Tac. Arn. i. 78, ii. 42; Suet. Cal. 16); and trusted to praefects, who appear to have held their
likewise a tax upon every slave that was pur- office for two years; and henceforth no further
chased, at first of two per cent. (qusinqssegesisma), change seems to have been made. (Plin. Paneg.
and afterwards of four per cent. (quinta et vicesiuCa) 91, 92, Ep. x. 20; Suet. Claud. 24.) They are
of its value. (Dion Cass. Iv. 31; Tac. Ann. xiii. called inl inscriptions grauefecti saearii Saturni, and
3i; Orelli, Inscr. No. 3336.) Besides these taxes, they appear to have had quaestors also to assist
ito doubt the booty olbtainod in warl and not dis- them in their duties, as we find mention of quaes