ADMIS´SIO
ADMIS´SIO reception or audience at court. At first
all visitors were admitted without distinction to the
atria of their wealthy friends. According to Seneca
(
de Benef. 6.33;
de Clem. 1.10), C.
Gracchus and Livius Drusus were the first to receive some privately and
others in a limited number, doubtless for political reasons. Afterwards
these distinctions became the rule, and it was the exception for any one to
open his doors to all comers (
Cic. Att. 6.2,
5). Under the empire friends were
distinguished as
amici admissionis primae,
secundae, &c. The first alone could enter without delay,
and could pay a separate visit. The rest had to await, and some-times to
purchase the favour, of the porter. At the imperial court there was a body
of slaves and freedmen, acting as the introducers of visitors (
officium admissionis, Suet. Vesp. 14;
servi ab admissione, Orell. 2888, or
ab officiis et admissione, and later as
admissionales, Lamprid.
Alex. Sev.
4). The head of the
officium admissionis was
the
magister admissionum, subordinate himself
to the
magister officiorum. The
magister admissionum himself introdced the most
exalted visitors, and, at least in the time of Justinian, none were
introduced by the
admissionales but such as
were
illustres (
Amm. Marc.
22.7). Hence the
admissionales seem
to have been at this time of a higher rank than most of the attendants on
the court. (Cf. Marquardt,
Privatalt. pp. 149, 231, 264.)
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A.S.W]
