A-dictionary-of-greek-and-roman-antiquities-william-smith

441 EDICTUM.
EDICTUM.
of this assembly is not mentioned, it existed long also made many edicts, and their jurisdiction was
before the Persian wars, and that in many cases in exercised (under the empire at least) in the pro
which the magistrates (tMij, apxorres or ipxai) vincial populi Romani by the quaestors. (Gains,
arc said to have made decrees, the magistrates are i. 6.) There was no edict promulgated in the pro
mentioned instead of the 6tK\»rroi, of whom they vincial Caesaris. The tribunes, censors, and pontifices
also promulgated edicts relating to the matters
were the chief members. This last supposition is
rejected by Miillcr (Dor. iii. 5. § 10), who ob of their respective jurisdictions. The edicta are
serves that the magistrates were often said to hare enumerated by Gaius among the sources of Roman
decreed a measure (especially in foreign affairs), law, and this part of the Roman law is sometimes
though it had been discussed before the whole called in the Pandect, Jus Honorarium (Dig. 44.
assembly and approved by it ; for the magistrates tit. 7. s. 52), apparently because the edictal power
were the representatives and the organs of the belonged to those magistrates only who had the
assembly, and acted in its name. Miiller is also honores, and not so much ad honorem praetorum.
of opinion that IVicAnToi and iKKKijcia are identical, (Dig. 1. tit. 1. s. 7.) As the edicts of the praetors
and distinct from the lesser assembly, which he were the most important, the jus honorarium was
considers to have been a kind of select assembly, sometimes called jus practorium ; but, properly,
But his arguments on this point are not convincing.
The IftfcAnroi and the lesser assembly are men
tioned about the same time in Grecian history, and
previous to that time we hear of no assembly,
except the regular Ikk\i\