Consularis

Consularis is a

Late Antiquity, the title became also a gubernatorial rank for provincial governors

History

In the

proconsuls. The distinction was attached to their wives as well (consularis femina, in Greek ὑπατική or ὑπάτισσα).^[1] Under the Principate, the status of consularis could be gained, without holding the consulship, by the gift of the emperor, either through admission to the senate (adlectio inter consulares) or (more rarely) through the award of the consular insignia (ornamenta/insignia consularia).^[1]

Under the Principate, a number of senior magistracies were created for consulares:[1]

The position of praefectus urbi, governor of Rome and its environs.
Under
Italy
was divided into four judicial jurisdictions, each with a consularis at its head. This institution was abolished soon after Hadrian's death, however.
Under
Alexander Severus (r. 222–235), a council of fourteen consulares, the consulares sacrae urbis, was created to assist the praefectus urbi, with each one representing one of the fourteen regions
of Rome.

The consulares operum publicorum, alvei Tiberis et cloacarum, public officials (curatores) responsible for public works, the regulation of the Tiber and the maintenance of Rome's sanitation system.

Provincial governors

Already during the Republic, certain provinces were reserved for ex-consuls. This tradition carried into the Principate following the grant of an enormous provincial command to Augustus in 27 BC effectively dividing the empire between so-called

procuratores

.

As the formal title of legatus Augusti did not otherwise distinguish rank, those of consular standing occasionally attached the form consularis to their title, a practice which became commonplace in the 3rd century. As a result, the latter, simpler title began to replace the formal title, and to acquire a generic meaning of "provincial governor".

vir clarissimus, while a holder of consular rank was styled vir illustris.^[1] In a handful of cases, serving consulares were raised to proconsular rank, while Valentinian I (r. 364–375) and Valens (r. 364–378) gave the consulares of Numidia the exceptional right to be preceded by six instead of five fasces-bearing lictores.^[1]

According to the Notitia Dignitatum (circa 400), the following provinces were administered by a consularis:

in fifteen provinces in the Eastern Roman Empire^[1]^[2]

five in the
Cilicia Prima and Cyprus

three in the
Hellespontus and Lydia

two in the Diocese of Pontus: Galatia and Bithynia
two in the Diocese of Thrace: Europa and Thracia
three in the
Creta (Crete), Macedonia and Dacia Mediterranea

the

Diocese of Egypt

—sui generis as the imperial crown domain—is explicitly said to have none

in twenty-one provinces in the Western Roman Empire^[1]^[3]

one in the Diocese of Pannonia: Pannonia Secunda
eight in the two Italian dioceses:
Sicilia
two in the Diocese of Africa: Byzacena and Numidia
three in the
Baetica, Lusitania, Gallaecia

six in the

Belgica Secunda

two in the
Diocese of Britain: Maxima Caesariensis and Valentia

The Notitia gives the following staff (

cornicularius, two tabularii, an adiutor, a commentariensis, an ab actis, a subadiuva, and various exceptores and cohortalini, i.e. menial staff.^[4] For the East, the officium was slightly different: princeps officii, cornicularius, commentariensis, adiutor, numerarius, ab actis, a libellis, and the usual exceptores and cohortalini.^[5]

The Synecdemus, written some time shortly before 535, lists the following provinces under consulares:^[1] Europa, Thracia, Macedonia Prima, Creta,

Helenopontus, Cilicia Prima, Cyprus, Syria Prima, Phoenice, Palaestina Prima, Arabia

, and one whose name is illegible.

Following the

Rhodope, Haemimontus and Augustamnica (this is possibly an error) were placed under consulares, while Epirus Nova, Dacia Mediterranea, Phrygia Pacatiana, Galatia, Syria Prima and Arabia were placed under governors of other ranks.^[1]

References

^

Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft

. Vol. Band IV, Halbband 7, Claudius mons-Cornificius. col. 1138–1142.

^ Notitia Dignitatum, in partibus Orientis, I
^ Notitia Dignitatum, in partibus Occidentis, I
^ Notitia Dignitatum, in partibus Occidentis, XLIII
^ Notitia Dignitatum, in partibus Orientis, XLIII

[PW-1] 
Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft
. Vol. Band IV, Halbband 7, Claudius mons-Cornificius. col. 1138–1142.

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