Political Offices

Political offices come into three basic categories: elected offices, accepted offices, and assigned offices.

Elected Offices

Magistrates like: Consul, Praetor, Censor, Aedile, Quaestor are elected. The Tribunus Plebis is also elected. Characters who were elected, may not be elected for a second consecutive term to the same office they previously held.

Accepted Offices

All former Magistrates will become regular Senators when their term of office expires.

Assigned offices

Promagistrates like: Proconsuls and Propraetors are chosen by the Consuls. A Legatus is also chosen by the Consuls.

Consul

The Consul is the head of state and supreme commander of the armed forces of Rome. They may lead armies, permitted they are invested with Imperium. A Consul invested with Imperium is styled as an Imperator. There are 2 Consuls and unlike the office of Praetor their number cannot increase. Each Consul may have 3 Lictors as his bodyguards. A Consul may veto down law proposals. A Consul may assign a Legatus to an army. The duration of the office of Consul is 1 year, after the term of office, the Consul may become Proconsul and govern a province. The Consuls elect the promagistrates such as Proconsuls or Propraetors from the list of available Senators who were formerly Praetor or Consul and the Consuls elect the Legati from the available military recruits or soldiers.

The Praetor is a high ranking magistrate and supreme judge of Rome. They may lead armies, permitted they are invested with Imperium, in which case the Praetor is also styled Imperator. There are a minimum of 2 Praetors, but the Senate may increase their number by act of law to 4, or 6, or 8 Praetors. Each Praetor may have 2 Lictors as his bodyguards. The duration of the office of Praetor is 1 year, after the term of office, the Praetor may become Propraetor and govern a province.

The Princeps Senatus is the chairman of the Senate. There is only 1 Princeps Senatus. The Princeps Senatus can issue law proposals on his own accord, but cannot veto down proposals. The duration of the office of Princeps Senatus is for life. The princeps Senatus is assigned by the Censors.

The Censor is the head of the public treasury and also watches over the Census. A Censor may evict a Senator, who is not a magistrate, from the Senate and may elect a Princeps Senatus from the Senators, who are not magistrates. There are 2 Censors and unlike the office of Praetor their nunmber cannot increase. The duration of the office of Censor is 5 years.

The Aedile supervises the use and construction of public buildings, the Aedile also supervises the markets and fora. There are a minimum of 4 Aediles, but the Senate may increase their number by act of law to 6 Aediles. Each Aedile may have 1 Lictor as his bodyguard. The duration of the office of Aedile is 1 year.

The Quaestor supervises the treasury and makes disburstments from the public treasury. There are a minimum of 4 Quaestors, but the Senate may increase their number by act of law to 8, or 20 Quaestors. The duration of the office of Quaestor is 1 year.

The Tribunus Plebis is chief of the plebs. A Tribunus plebis acts in the interests of the plebs. A Tribunus Plebis may veto down any law proposal, but is not an actual Senator or Magistrate and therefore cannot vote in the Senate. There are 5 Tribunes and their number cannot increase. The duration of the office of Tribunus Plebis is 1 year.

The Proconsul is a promagistrate and provincial governor with an authority similar to a Consul. The duration of the office of Proconsul is for life. Each Proconsul may have 2 Lictors as his bodyguards. The Proconsul is assigned by the Consuls.

The Propraetor is a promagistrate and provincial governor with an authority similar to a Praetor. The duration of the office of Propraetor is for life. Each Propraetor may have 1 Lictor as his bodyguard. The Propraetor is assigned by the Consuls.

The Senator is a common member of the Senate and may vote in the Senate, but cannot do more than that. A senator is often a former magistrate. The duration of the office of Senator is for life.

The Legatus is a general and head of a Legion. A Legatus may do battle, vote in the senate and negotiate with barbarians. A Legatus may also act as a temporary provincial governor in absence of other provincial governors, such as promagistrates like a Proconsul, or Propraetor. The Legatus gets the largest cut of any booty or plunder from conquests made by the Legion he leads and the office of Legatus can therefore be a powerful and lucrative one. The Legatus is assigned by the Consuls.

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