De officio quaestoris
(Concerning the Office of Quæstor.)
1 Ulpianus libro singulari de officio quaestoris. Origo quaestoribus creandis antiquissima est et paene ante omnes magistratus. Gracchanus denique Iunius libro septimo de potestatibus etiam ipsum Romulum et Numam Pompilium binos quaestores habuisse, quos ipsi non sua voce, sed populi suffragio crearent, refert. sed sicuti dubium est, an Romulo et Numa regnantibus quaestor fuerit, ita Tullo Hostilio rege quaestores fuisse certum est: et sane crebrior apud veteres opinio est Tullum Hostilium primum in rem publicam induxisse quaestores. 1Et a genere quaerendi quaestores initio dictos et Iunius et Trebatius et Faenestella scribunt. 2Ex quaestoribus quidam solebant provincias sortiri ex senatus consulto, quod factum est Decimo Druso et Porcina consulibus. sane non omnes quaestores provincias sortiebantur, verum excepti erant candidati principis: hi etenim solis libris principalibus in senatu legendis vacant. 3Hodieque optinuit indifferenter quaestores creari tam Patricios quam plebeios: ingressus est enim et quasi primordium gerendorum honorum sententiaeque in senatu dicendae. 4Ex his, sicut dicimus, quidam sunt qui candidati principis dicebantur quique epistulas eius in senatu legunt.
1 Ulpianus, On the Duties of Quæstor. The origin of Quæstor is very ancient, more so than that of almost any other magistracy. Gracchanus Julius, in the Seventh Book “On Authorities”, relates that Romulus himself, and Numa Pompilius had two Quæstors not appointed by themselves, but by the votes of the people; but even if doubt exists whether there was any Quæstor during the reigns of Romulus and Numa, it is certain that Quæstors existed during that of Tullus Hostilius; and, indeed, it is the prevalent opinion of ancient writers that Tullus Hostilius was the first to introduce Quæstors into the government of the commonwealth. 1Junius, Trebatius, and Fenestella deduced the origin of the word Quæstor from quæro (to seek). 2Some of the Quæstors were accustomed to draw lots for the provinces assigned by the decree of the Senate, which was also done under the consulate of Decimus Drusus and Porcina. All the Quæstors, however, did not obtain their provinces by lot, the candidates of the Emperor being excepted, for these were only employed in reading the Imperial Epistles in the Senate. 3At present, Quæstors are taken indiscriminately from patricians and plebeians; for the place is an entrance to, and, so to speak, the beginning of other offices, and confers the right to state one’s opinion in the Senate. 4There are some of these, as We have just stated, who are styled the candidates of the Emperor, and who read his Epistles in the Senate.