The Cursus Honorum The Ranks Of Government Offices

The Cursus Honorum The cursus honorum was the path that a Roman male would take through the ranks of government offices. The patrician male, who was a born in the upper class, would start as a quaestor, next curule aedile, then praetor, and finally consul. The plebeian male, who was born in the lower class, would start as a tribune, next plebeian aedile, then praetor, and finally consul. In times of emergency, a dictator was elected for six months with complete control of Rome. Each stage of the cursus honorum had many rules, from number of elected officials to the type of clothes they wore. The cursus honorum created a structured and regulated government, that helped led Rome to its greatness. The first step for the patrician male was the quaestor, which â€Å"administered finances of state treasury and served in various capacities in the provinces† (Roman Government). The role of the quaestor was to be in charge of the state treasury and how it was used throughout the armie s and for state funding. They also served as aides to the consuls. In the beginning, the quaestor consisted of only two roles, but by the time of Julius Caesar, it had expanded into 40 positions. The age requirement varied, because it was changed often, but it was around twenty-two to thirty years old. The quaestors were elected by the comitia tribute, but Augustus moved this responsibility onto the Senate during his reign. Once elected, all quaestors were entitled to membership in the Senate. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Effectiveness of Octavian in Enlisting Senatorial Support for his New Administration in the Period 30 to 19 BC.2342 Words   |  10 Pagesin this manner. Senators saw themselves as the protectors of the Roman Constitution, but also wanted to climb to the highest ranks possible in the cursus honorum (the ladder of offices). Climbing this ladder of offices meant positions which meant power and money. However, these positions were highly contested and sought after. The cursus honorum was sacred to them, and so, in consequence, they were conservative. However, Octavian came from the same social background (OctaviansRead MoreEssay Exploring the Leadership of Roman Emperor Claudius2471 Words   |  10 Pageslowest socially ranked people in rome. Once Claudius became more powerful he still continued to associate with the freedmen, more than likely because he felt he couldnt socialise with others of a more prestigious rank. With this Claudius appointed freemen to certain secretarial offices, however, he wasn’t the first emperor to do so, augustus before him also found it better to work through ‘permanant non-senatorial officials than through senatorial magistrates.’ Although Claudius and augustus areRead More Aristotelian Ethics and its Context Essay6933 Words   |  28 Pagessubject of politics. This specific human function, the function that makes us homo sapiens, can not be displayed in rule-be-ruled institutions such as the oikos (household) since such institutions and their collateral behaviors are predetermined based on rank or role. But achie ving the distinctively human telos requires that such rule-be-ruled relations and behaviors be transcended since those relations and behaviors exclude the free exercise of deliberative intelligence. I begin with a proposition: