Submitted for award of PhD September 2006. - King's College London

Romans held censuses every five years, and this was adopted by their allies as is
indicated by the adjective quinquennalis which later appears in the titles of local
magistrates in numerous inscriptions from across Italy. 610 So far, no inscription has been
found with the adjective decennalis. Furthermore the word degetasius has no connection
to the Oscan word for year, acenei (abl. sing. ). La Regina's comparison of the office of
meddix degetasius to the decemviri of Rome is not helpful. The decemvirate of 450/1
was an extraordinary committee, which replaced the regular magistrates of the year and
was appointed to compile a law code. 61
1 The decemviri stlitibus iudicandis were a board
or ten leading citizens responsible for lawsuits, to decide whether a man was free or
slave. The decemviri sacris faciundis held their position for life and their task was the
preservation of the Sybilline books. 612 Boards of ten men or decemviri were appointed
by the senate to carry out specific tasks, but this was not a regularly held office. 613
I now compare the Nolan magistrates with comparable magistrates in other
Campanian inscriptions and at Rome. Dedications made from public fines are also
attested at Pompeii, but the sundial inscription shows that it was a quaestor who
performed this duty. 614 At Rome the aediles seemed to have exercised a similar
authority. Numerous examples in Livy show that both plebeian and curule aediles, of
which there were two pairs, prosecuted offenders on charges of contravening the limits
on landholding and the use of pasture, a grain merchant for causing corn shortages, and
610 aediles quinquennales at Tusculum: CIL XIV. 2579 and 2590 (from 186 AD). aediles of Formiae
consisted of aedilis quinquennalis solus with censorial functions supported by two ordinary aediles of the
settlement: CIL X. 6015,6111. Praetor (sometimes called duovir) quinquennalis from Lavinium (Latins):
CIL X. 797; CIL XIV p. 188. Praetor quinquennalis in Capitulum Hernicum: CIL XIV. 2960.
61 Livy 3.32.6.
612 Lintott (1999)183-4.
613 See section 5.4.
614 ST Po 4, ST Po 8 and the fragmentary ST Po 13?
170