58 



implies. The duty of the Augustales or Seviri was evidently 

 not great ; we find the same person filling the office not only in 

 neighbouring towns, as Brixia and Tridentum, but in Lugdu- 

 num and Puteoli. ' But though not involving much duty, it 

 evidently was an expensive office, and appears generally to have 

 been held by the class of wealthy tradesmen, or members of those 

 professions which in the ancient world ranked with trades, as 

 the medical for example. These trades and professions were 

 usually exercised by slaves and freedmen, and a large propor- 

 tion of the Seviri and Augustales were of this latter class. 

 They filled an intermediate place between the Decurions, (the 

 proprietary body), and the plebs ; and we find them thus enu- 

 merated, Decuriones, Augustales et Plebs Petelinorum. ^ It 

 must have been owing to the expense that it was sometimes 

 necessary to compel men to undertake the office. ^ L. Csecina, 

 a native of Barcelona, leaves property to that community for the 

 annual exhibition of pugilistic games on the 4 Id. Jun. and a 

 distribution of oil to the baths on the same day ; he then pro- 

 ceeds to stipulate, that all his freedmen should be excused from 

 the duties (munera) of the Sevirate ; or if they should be called 

 to it, then he transfers his legacy to Tarracona.* Usually, how- 

 ever, the love of that distinction which arises from being able to 

 spend money seems to have supplied a sufficient number of can- 

 didates, and mention is made of supernumeraries, as if the 

 candidates exceeded the vacancies. ^ An Augustalis gratis 

 creatus also occurs, and as one of them is recorded to have 

 died at the age of two years and three months, and another 

 of thirteen years, it is evident that the honour was sometimes 

 bestowed as a compliment to parents, or in the hope of obtaining 

 a gratuity from them. ^ We even find mention of a female 

 Augustalis (Morcell. u. s.) The Seviri and Augustales, besides 

 the expenses necessarily connected with their duty, seem often 

 to have undertaken works of public utility. One inscription 



1 Orelli 3952. Possibly at different periods of his life, as it seems to have been 

 the practice to inscribe on a man's monument all the titles he had ever borne. 



2 Orelli 3939. Maffei Verona Illustr. 1. p. 167. ' Zumpt. p. 46. 



* Gruter 378, 1. « Zumpt. p 59. « Orelli 3955, 3963, 3934. 



