rchy introduce

modelled, perhaps deserves even more careful study than it has yet received, is admirably illustrated by the letters of Cassiodorus. The Notitia Utriusque Imperii, our copies of which must have been compiled in the early years of the Fifth Century, furnishes us with a picture of official life which, after we have made allowance for the fact that the Empire of the West has shrunk into the Ostrogothic Kingdom of It

liss

yal or Imperial Highness in modern monarchies. I am not sure whether any trace can be found of the survival of this title in the Ostrogothic Court. Theodahad, nephew of Theodoric, is addressed simply as 'Vir Senator[111],' and he is spoken of as 'praecelsus et amplissim

ust

Sovereign, and they may with some truth be compared to the Cabinet Ministers of our own politica

orian Praefe

rian Praefect

ect of the C

Foot Guards (Magister

orse Guards (Magister

he Horse for the G

erlain (Praepositu

ster of t

e Qua

nt of Sacre

Private Domains (Co

ousehold Cavalry (Come

usehold Infantry (Comes

Horse for the Gauls) may possibly have disappeared; and yet, in view of the fact that Theodoric was during the greater part of his reign ruler of a portion of Gaul, it is not necessary to assume even this change. Into t

een described in the first chapter. It will be well to say a few words as to the four remaining civil dignitaries,

t of th

th taking the census, the officers charged with levying the duties on wine, the masters of the markets, the superintendents of the granaries, the curators of the statues, baths, theatres, and the other public buildings with which the City was adorned, all owned the supreme control of the Urban Praefect. At the beginning of the Fifth Century the Vicarius Urbis (whom it is difficult not to think of as in some sort subject to the Praefectus

Chambe

ed to the spreading and serving of the royal table; the Comes Sacrae Vestis, who with similar assistance took charge of the royal wardrobe; the Comes Domorum, who perhaps superintended the needful repairs of the royal palace, all took their orders in the last resort fro

Sacred

mint, the Imperial linen factories, the receipt of the tribute of the Provinces, and many other departments of the public revenue were originally under the care of this functiona

Private

s, and to make the office of Count of the Domain more important. The collection of the land-tax, far the most important item of the Imperial revenue, was also made subject to his authority. Finally, in order, as Cassiodorus quaintly observes[114], that his jurisdiction should no

those whom we may call honorary members of the class: the persons who had received the dignity of the Patriciate-a dignity which was freque

us office lost the right to be so addressed on vacating it. I am not sure that we have any clear case in the fol

itute of all real power, was still greeted, it seems probable that the Consuls for

tabi

pectabiles, which consists chiefly of the

e Praefecture of the Gauls embraced Britain, Gaul, a considerable slice of Germany, Spain, and Morocco). This was divided into Dioceses (in the instance above referred to Britain formed one Diocese, Gaul another, and Spain with its attendant port

mand of the Diocese was vested in a Spectabilis Comes, who was under the orders of the Illustrious Magister Militum. Subordinate in some way to

s in the great administrative offices, such as the Primicerius Notariorum and the Magistri Scriniorum[116], bore the title of Spectabilis. We have perhap

ost unknown to the Theodosian Code), when it occurs in t

ris

conferred on all the members of the Senate, and was in fact identical with Senator[118]; and this was doubtless, as Usener points out[119], the reason why the letters Cl. were still appended to a Roman nobleman's name after he had risen higher in the official scale and was entitled to be called Spec

asses above enumerat

ecti

ors belonged, as well as some of the clerks in the Revenue Offices (N

ese agai

re

a right to promotion, or even what we should call veter

n the Theodosian Code, and none at all (I believe