|
Officium (plural ''officia'') is a Latin word with various meanings in Ancient Rome, including "service", "(sense of) duty", "courtesy", "ceremony" and the like. It also translates the Greek ''kathekon'' and was used in later Latin to render more modern offices. However, this article is mainly concerned with the meaning of "an office" (the modern word ''office'' derives from it) or "bureau" in the sense of a dignitary's staff of administrative and other collaborators, each of whom was called an ''officialis'' (hence the modern official). The ''Notitia Dignitatum'' gives us uniquely detailed information, stemming from the very imperial chanceries, on the composition of the ''officia'' of many of the leading court, provincial, military and certain other officials of the two Roman empires c. AD 400. While the details vary somewhat according to rank, from West (Rome) to East (Byzantium) and/or in particular cases, in general the leading staff would be about as follows (the English descriptions and other modern "equivalents" are approximate): *''Princeps officius'' was the chief of staff, permanent secretary or ''chef de cabinet'' *''Cornicularius'' was a military title, for an administrative deputy of various generals etc. *''Adiutor'' (literally "helper") seems to have been the chief (general) assistant, or adjutant *''Commentariensis'' was the keeper of "commentaries", an official diary *''Ab actis'' was the keeper of records, the archivist *''Numerarius'' ("accountant") seems to have been the receiver of taxes *''Subadiuva'' ("under-helper") seems to have been a general assistant *''Cura epistolarum'' was the curator of correspondence *''Regerendarius'' may have been a registrar *''Exceptor'' seem to have been a secretary *''Singularius'' has been called a notary, but the word can also refer to a bodyguard Below those "dignities", there were often a few hundred minor officials, often slaves or freedmen, doing the clerical drudgery, not deemed worthy of any more detailed mention. They are only referred to collectively, by various terms in the plural, such as ''cohortalini'' (apparently the diminutive of ''cohortalis'', the very term suggesting significant number; see ''cohors amicorum''). ==See also== * Magister officiorum 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Officium (Ancient Rome)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|