QUADRĀGĒSĬMA, the fortieth part of the imported goods, was the ordinary rate of the Portorium under the empire. [Portorium.]
QUADRANS. [As.]
QUADRANTAL, or AMPHŎRA QUADRANTAL, or AMPHŎRA only, was the principal Roman measure of capacity for fluids. A standard model of theAmphorawas kept with great care in the temple of Jupiter in the Capitol, and was calledamphora Capitolina. It contained 5·77 imperial gallons, or a little more than 5¾ gallons, or than 5 gallons and 6 pints.
QUADRĪGA. [Currus.]
QUADRĪGĀTUS. [Denarius.]
QUADRŬPLĀTŌRES: public informers or accusers were so called, either because they received a fourth part of the criminal’s property, or because those who were convicted were condemned to pay fourfold (quadrupli damnari), as in cases of violation of the laws respecting gambling, usury, &c.
QUAESTIŌNES, QUAESTIŌNES PERPĔTUAE. [Judex:Praetor.]
QUAESTOR (ταμίας), a name given to two distinct classes of Roman officers. It is derived fromquaero, and Varro gives a definition which embraces the principal functions of both classes of officers:Quaestores a quaerendo, qui conquirerent publicas pecunias et maleficia. The one class, therefore, had to do with the collecting and keeping of the public revenues, and the others were a kind of public accusers. The former bore the name ofQuaestores Classici, the latter ofQuaestores Parricidii.—TheQuaestores Parricidiiwere public accusers, two in number, who conducted the accusation of persons guilty of murder or any other capital offence, and carried the sentence into execution. In the early period of the republic the quaestores parricidii appear to have become a standing office, which, like others, was held only for one year. They were appointed by the populus or the curies on the presentation of the consuls. When these quaestores discovered that a capital offence had been committed, they had to bring the charge before the comitia for trial. When the sentence had been pronounced by the people, the quaestores parricidii executed it; thus they threw Spurius Cassius from the Tarpeian rock. They were mentioned in the laws of the Twelve Tables, and after the time of the decemvirate they still continued to be appointed,though probably no longer by the curies, but either in the comitia centuriata or tribute, which they therefore must have had the right of assembling in cases of emergency. From the yearB.C.366 they are no longer mentioned in Roman history, as their functions were gradually transferred to the triumviri capitales. [Triumviri Capitales.]—TheQuaestores Classici, usually calledQuaestoressimply, were officers entrusted with the care of the public money. They were elected by the centuries, and the office is said to have been first instituted by Valerius Publicola. They were at first only two in number, and of course taken only from the patricians. As the senate had the supreme administration of the finances, the quaestors were in some measure only its agents or paymasters, for they could not dispose of any part of the public money without being directed by the senate. Their duties consequently consisted in making the necessary payments from the aerarium, and receiving the public revenues. Of both they had to keep correct accounts in theirtabulae publicae. Demands which any one might have on the aerarium, and outstanding debts, were likewise registered by them. Fines to be paid to the public treasury were registered and exacted by them. Another branch of their duties, which, however, was likewise connected with the treasury, was to provide the proper accommodation for foreign ambassadors, and such persons as were connected with the republic by ties of public hospitality.—InB.C.421 the number of quaestors was doubled, and the tribunes tried to effect, by an amendment of the law, that a part (probably two) of the quaestores should be plebeians. This attempt was indeed frustrated, but the interrex L. Papirius effected a compromise, that the election should not be restricted to either order. After this law was carried, eleven years passed without any plebeian being elected to the office: at last, inB.C.409, three of the four quaestors were plebeians. A person who had held the office of quaestor had undoubtedly, as in later times, the right to take his seat in the senate, unless he was excluded as unworthy by the next censors. And this was probably the reason why the patricians so resolutely opposed the admission of plebeians to this office. Henceforth the consuls, whenever they took the field against an enemy, were accompanied by one quaestor each, who at first had only to superintend the sale of the booty, the produce of which was either divided among the legion, or was transferred to the aerarium. Subsequently, however, we find that these quaestors also kept the funds of the army, which they had received from the treasury at Rome, and gave the soldiers their pay; they were in fact the paymasters of the army. The two other quaestors, who remained at Rome, continued to discharge the same duties as before, and were distinguished from those who accompanied the consuls by the epitheturbani. InB.C.265, after the Romans had made themselves masters of Italy, and when, in consequence, the administration of the treasury and the raising of the revenues became more laborious and important, the number of quaestors was again doubled to eight; and it is probable that henceforth their number continued to be increased in proportion as the empire became extended. One of the eight quaestors was appointed by lot to theQuaestura Ostiensis, a most laborious and important post, as he had to provide Rome with corn. Besides the quaestor Ostiensis, who resided at Ostia, three other quaestors were distributed in Italy, to raise those parts of the revenue which were not farmed by the publicani, and to control the latter. One of them resided at Cales, and the two others probably in towns on the Upper Sea. The two remaining quaestors were sent to Sicily.—Sulla, in his dictatorship, raised the number of quaestors to twenty, that he might have a large number of candidates for the senate, and J. Caesar even to forty. In the yearB.C.49 no quaestors were elected, and Caesar transferred the keeping of the aerarium to the aediles. From this time forward the treasury was sometimes entrusted to the praetors, sometimes to the praetorii, and sometimes again to quaestors. [Aerarium.] Quaestors, however, both in the city and in the provinces, occur down to the latest period of the empire. The proconsul or praetor, who had the administration of a province, was attended by a quaestor. This quaestor had undoubtedly to perform the same functions as those who accompanied the armies into the field; they were in fact the same officers, with the exception that the former were stationary in their province during the time of their office, and had consequently rights and duties which those who accompanied the armies could not have. In the provinces the quaestors had the same jurisdiction as the curule aediles at Rome. The relation existing between a praetor or proconsul of a province and his quaestor was, according to ancient custom, regarded as resembling that between a father and his son. When a quaestor died in his province, the praetors had the right of appointing aproquaestorin his stead; and when the praetor was absent, the quaestor supplied his place, and was then attended by lictors. In what manner the provinces were assigned tothe quaestors after their election at Rome, is not mentioned, though it was probably by lot, as in the case of the quaestor Ostiensis.
QUAESTŌRĬUM. [Castra.]
QUĀLUS. [Calathus.]
QUARTĀRĬUS. [Sextarius.]
QUĂSILLĀRĬAE. [Calathus.]
QUĂSILLUM. [Calathus.]
QUĂTŬORVĬRI JŪRI DĪCUNDO. [Colonia.]
QUĂTŬORVĬRI VĬĀRUM CŪRANDĀRUM, four officers who had the superintendence of the roads (viae), were first appointed after the war with Pyrrhus, when so many public roads were made by the Romans.
QUĪNĀRĬUS. [Denarius.]
QUINCUNX. [As.]
QUINDĔCIMVĬRI. [Decimviri.]
QUINQUATRUS or QUINQUATRĬA, a festival sacred to Minerva, which was celebrated on the 19th of March. Ovid says that it was celebrated for five days, that on the first day no blood was shed, but that on the last four there were contests of gladiators. It would appear, however, that only the first day was the festival properly so called, and that the last four were merely an addition made perhaps in the time of Caesar, to gratify the people, who became so passionately fond of gladiatorial combats. On the fifth day of the festival, according to Ovid, the trumpets used in sacred rites were purified; but this seems to have been originally a separate festival calledTubilustrium, which was celebrated, as we know from the ancient calendars, on the 23rd of March, and would of course, when the Quinquatrus was extended to five days, fall on the last day of that festival. There was also another festival of this name, calledQuinquatrus MinusculaeorQuinquatrus Minores, celebrated on the Ides of June, on which the tibicines went through the city in procession to the temple of Minerva.
QUINQUENNĀLĬA, were games instituted by Nero,A.D.60, in imitation of the Greek festivals, and celebrated like the Greekπενταετηρίδες, at the end of every four years: they consisted of musical, gymnastic, and equestrian contests.
QUINQUENNĀLIS. [Colonia,p. 101,a.]
QUINQUĔRĒMIS. [Navis.]
QUINQUERTĬUM. [Pentathlon.]
QUINQUĔVĬRI, or five commissioners, were frequently appointed under the republic as extraordinary magistrates to carry any measure into effect.
QUINTĀNA. [Castra.]
QUĬRĪNĀLĬA, a festival sacred to Quirinus, which was celebrated on the 17th of February, on which day Romulus (Quirinus) was said to have been carried up to heaven. This festival was also calledStultorum feriae, respecting the meaning of which seeFornacalia.
QUĬRĪTĬUM JUS. [Jus.]