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

9s0.QUAESTOII. QIUAESTOIR.
othe.Ron amp ilhora / 5050 x _80, fulcltions of both classes of officers: " Quaiestores
h 7e a-0 00 7 i0- a quaerendclo, qui conquirerent publicas pecllidas et
perial gallons, or a little more than 5- gallons, or nialeticia." The one class therefore had to de
than 5 gallons and 6 pints. If we were to make with the collecting and keeping of the public rethe computation directly from thle congius of Ves- venues, and the others were a kind of public acpasian, we should have a somewhat higher value; cnsers. The former bore the name of quaestores
which, as has alreadv been shown under PONDERA, classici, the latter of quaestores parricidii. (Dig. 1.
arises -probably from a source of error. On the tit. 2. s. 2. ~ 22, 23.)
other hand, the computation from the Roman cubic The 2ICuestores parcricidii were, as we have said,
foot gives a somewhat lower value [PONDERA]; puoblic accusers, two in number, who conducted the
but, as already intimated, it is very doubtthl accusation of persons guilty of murder or any other
whether the true content of the amphora was ex- capital offence, and carried the sentence into exeactly a cubic foot, and in fact, if Bickh be right, cution. (Festus,s. v. Paici and Quaestores; Liv-.
it was a little more. At all events, the value of 5 ii. 41; Dionys. viii. 77.) There are man points
gallons 6 pints is quite near enough to the truth which might make us inclined to believe that the
forall the purposes of the classical student. (See qInaestores parricidii and the' duumviri perduelthe Tables.) On the other hand, if we were to lionis were the same officers; but a closer esamireckon the quadrantal at exactly 6 gallons, and natioll shows that the former were a permanent
consequently the sextarizss, which is the simall unit t agistracy, while the latter were appointed only
of the system, at exactly 1 pint (instead of'f96) o special emllergencies. [ See PERDUELLIONxS
we' should' obtain a system so extremeli simple, DuUlVlmli.] All testimonies agree that these puband with so small a limit of error (narnely less lic accusers existed at Rome during the period of
than -Ao in a pint), that it would probably 1e the kinos, tho.ulgh it is impossible to ascertain by
allowable to adopt it in the ordinary reading of the which king they were instituted (Fest. I. c.; Tacit.
classic authors; indicating, however, the small Alnnltl. xi 22; Dig. 1. tit. 13), as some mention
error, by prefixing in each case the words c little less themi in the reigni of Ronmulus and others in that
than; and correcting it, when the nusmbers are laroe, of Ninna. When Ulpian takes it for certain that
by talking from the resutlt 1-25th of itself. [P. S. they occurred inl the time of Tullus Hostilius, lie
QUADRI'GAE. [CuRRats, p. 379.] i appears to confound them, like other writers, with
Q(IJADRIGAE'UTCS. [DEN.RIUS.1 i the dusunaviri perduellionis, who in this reign acted
QUADRIRE'MES. [NAVIS, p. 785, b.] as judges in the case of Horatius, who had slain
QUA'DRUPES. [PAUPERIES.c] his sister. During the kingly period there occurs
QUADRUPLATOR'ES, public inforlmers or no instance in which it could be said with any
accusers, were so called, either because they re.- certainty, that the quaestores parricidii took a part.
ceived a fourth part of the criminal's property, or As thus everything is so uncertain, and, as late
because those who were convicted were condemned writers are guilty of such manifest confusions, we
to pay fourfold (quadrlshZi damcnci), as in cases of can say no more than that such public accusers
violation of the laws respecting gambling, usury, existed, and infer from the analogy of later times
&c. (Pseudo-Ascon, in ic. Divin. p. 110, ic-Veln2. that they were appointed by the populus on the
ii. p. 208, ed. Orelli; Vestus, s. v.) We know presentation of the king. iln the early period of
that onI some occasions the accuser received a the republic the quaestores parricidii appear to have
fourth part of the property of the accused (Tac. become a standing office,' which, like others, was
Ann. iv. 21); but the other explanation of the word held only for one year. (Liv. iii. 24, 25.) They
may also be correct) because usurers, who violated were appointed by the populls or the curies on
the law, were subjected to a penalty of four times the presentation of the consuls. (Dig. 1. tit. 2.
the amoulnt of the loan. (Cato, de Re Rust. init.) s. 2 ~ 23; Tacit. 1. c.) Wheis these quaestores disWVhen the general right of accusation was given, covered that a capital offence had been committed,
the abuse of which led to the springing up of the they had to bring the charge before the comlitia
Quadruplatores, is uncertain; but originally all for trial. (Liv. iii. 24; Dionys. viii. 75.) They confines went into the common treasury, and while Yoked the comitia throtugh the person of a trumthat was the ease the accusations sno doubt were peter, who proclaimed the day of meeticg fieo m the
brought on behalf of the state. (Niebuhr, Hist. capitol, at the gates of the city, and at the house of
of Rone, vol. ii.- p. 37.) Even under the republic tIhe accused. (Varro, de Lizg. Lat. vi. 90, ed. Millan accusation of a public officer, who had merited ler.) When the sentence had been pronlounced by
it by his crimes, was cornsidered a service ren- the people, the quaestores parricidii executed it;
dered to the state; the name of Quadruplatores thus they thliew Spurius Cassius from the Tarpeian
seems to have been given by way of contempt to rock. (Dionys. viii. 77; Liv. ii. 41; Cic. de Re"
mercenary or false accusers. (Cic. Div. ii. 7, c. Jer-r. Pccbt. ii. 35.) They were mentioned in the laws
ii. 7; Plait. Pens. i. 2. 10; Liv. iii. 72.) Seneca of the Twelve Tables, and after the time of tlh
(de Beneft vii. 25) calls those who sought great decemvilate they still continued to be appointed,
returns for small favours, Quacbluplatoes Ienefi- though probably no longei by the curies, but eiter
ccoei nM SUto'sUms. in the comitia centuriata or tributa, twhich they
QUADRLTPLTICATIO. [ACTrI1.] therefore must also have had the iight to assemble
QUADRUSSIS. [As.] in cases of emetgency. (Varro, de Liniy. Lat. vi. 9.)
QUAESTIONES, QUAESTIOWNItS PER-'this appears to be implied in the statensent of
PETUAE. [JUDEX, p. 648, b; PRaETOR Tacitus, that in the year 447 B. c. they were
p. 957, a.]' created by the people without any presentation of
QUAESTOR is a name which was given to the consatls. Fronil the year 366 B. c. they are no
two distinct classes of Ronman officers. It is de- longer menltioned in Roman history, as their flunc.
rived from quaero, and Varro (De Lin#g. Lat. v. tioins were gradually transferred to the triumviri
t31 gives a definition Which embraces the principal capitales. (Val, Max. r. 4, ~ 7, v:iii. ~ 2; Sailust1