APPARITO´RES
APPARITO´RES the general name for the free
attendants of the magistrates at Rome, as distinguished from the
servi publici. They received wages (
merces) from the public treasury, and had places of
their own in the theatre and circus (
Tac. Ann.
16.12), doubtless near the magistrates on whom they waited. They
were divided into five classes--the ACCENSI, LICTORES,
VIATORES, SCRIBAE, and PRAECONES, treated
in separate articles. Sometimes the term
apparitores is used to exclude
scribae and
lictores; but this is
less exact, for the last two classes also
apparebant
magistratibus. (Cf. Serv. on
Verg.
A. 12.850; Cic.
Cluent. 53, 147;
Liv. 1.8.) Each class constituted a
corporation (
corpus), subdivided into
decuriae, which had the right of holding property
and slaves. The number of members of a
decuria
varied with the number of attendants to which each magistrate was entitled.
The term
decuria was afterwards applied, not
merely to a subdivision of a corporation, but to the whole of one not so
divided. The post of
apparitor, though
nominally conferred by the magistrates of each year, became practically a
permanent one, and was even transferred by sale. (Cf. Mommsen,
Staatsr. 1.259-272; Becker,
Röm.
Alt. 2.2,370-384.)
[
A.S.W]
