64 



in laws of the later imperial times, is into the Decuriones or 

 Curiales, and the populus or plehs. * The name of Senator 

 was sometimes given to the Decuriones in larger communities ; 

 an inscription in Horsley speaks of a Flavins Martins Senator, 

 but it was probably not at Penrith/ where the inscription was 

 found, but at some larger place, that he had acquired the title. 

 This privileged order of the Decuriones was composed of persons 

 possessed of a certain amount of property ; landed property to 

 the extent of 25 jugera was the usual qualification ; at Como, 

 in the time of Pliny the Younger, 100,000 sesterces.^ They 

 possessed the nomination of the local magistrate, the duumvir 

 or quatuorvir who presided in the curia, and who exercised a 

 jurisdiction which was constantly more and more restricted by 

 the Roman governor, till at last it amounted to little more than 

 the attestation of protocols. * If there existed no duumvir, the 

 first decurion on the roll, called the principalis, presided over 

 the Curia. They appear to have been a sort of town council,^ 

 and many things relating to the community, though usually of 

 minor importance, are said in inscriptions to be done ex decreto 

 decurionum. They enjoyed the title of splendidissimus ordo ; 

 but their honours were dearly purchased, and with the decline 

 of the empire their lot became constantly more burdensome. 

 They had to raise the taxes, the indiction, capitation and land 

 tax, a duty sufiiciently odious in itself, but in their case accom- 

 panied with the responsibility of making good all deficiencies. 

 They could not sell their landed property without permission of 

 the governor, that it might not pass to an owner less capable of 

 paying taxes ; those who had no children could dispose by will 



1 In order of dignity tliey were thus classed ; the Jumorati who had filled public 

 ofi&ces ; then the decurions : then the possessore!, landed proprietors ; last the 

 negotiatores and artifices and members of the incorporated trades or collegia. 

 Walther Rom. Eecht. p. 396. 



' Brit. Bom. p. 273. » Plin. ep. 1, 19. 



4 Walther Bom. Eecht. ch. 87. 



5 Pliny in his letter to Trajan (10, 113) speaks of ihem by the Greek name of 

 Bouleutse ; the Emperor in his reply uses decurionatus. The letters of this author 

 will show the nature of the functions exercised by the Decuriones, 1, 8. 4, 7. 6, 4. 

 10, 63. 



