For other uses, see Officium. Ancient Rome This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Ancient Rome Periods Roman Kingdom 753 BC – 509 BC Roman Republic 508 BC – 27 BC Roman Empire 27 BC – AD 1453 Principate Western Empire Dominate Eastern Empire Roman Constitution Constitution of the Kingdom Constitution of the Republic Constitution of the Empire Constitution of the Late Empire History of the Constitution Senate Legislative Assemblies Executive Magistrates Ordinary Magistrates Consul Praetor Quaestor Promagistrate Aedile Tribune Censor Governor Extraordinary Magistrates Dictator Magister Equitum Consular tribune Rex Triumviri Decemviri Titles and Honours Emperor

Legatus Dux Officium Praefectus Vicarius Vigintisexviri Lictor Magister militum Imperator Princeps senatus Pontifex Maximus Augustus Caesar Tetrarch Precedent and Law Roman Law Imperium Mos maiorum Collegiality Roman citizenship Auctoritas Cursus honorum senatus consultum (senatus consultum ultimum) Other countries · Atlas Politics portal view · talk · 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 circa 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 registrardisambiguation needed 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 Sources and references Pauly-Wissowa (German-language encyclopedia on anything relating to Classical Antiquity) Notitia dignitatum v · d · eAncient Rome topics Epochs Foundation · Monarchy · Republic · Empire · (Principate and Dominate) · Decline · Western Empire / Eastern Empire Constitution History · Constitution of the Kingdom / the Republic / the Empire / the Late Empire · Senate · Legislative assemblies (Curiate · Century · Tribal · Plebeian) · Executive magistrates Government Curia · Forum · Cursus honorum · Collegiality · Emperor · Legatus · Dux · Officium · Praefectus · Vicarius · Vigintisexviri · Lictor · Magister militum · Imperator · Princeps senatus · Pontifex Maximus · Augustus · Caesar · Tetrarch · Optimates · Populares · Province Magistrates Ordinary: Tribune · Quaestor · Aedile · Praetor · Consul · Censor · Promagistrate · Governor Extraordinary: Dictator · Magister Equitum · Decemviri · Consular Tribune · Triumvir · Rex · Interrex Law Twelve Tables · Roman citizenship · Auctoritas · Imperium · Status · Litigation Military Borders · Establishment · Structure · Campaigns · Political control · Strategy · Engineering · Frontiers and fortifications (Castra) · Technology · Army (Legion • Infantry tactics • Personal equipment • Siege engines) · Navy (Fleet) · Auxiliaries · Decorations and punishments · Hippika gymnasia Economy Agriculture · Deforestation · Commerce · Finance · Currency · Republican currency · Imperial currency · SPQR Technology Abacus · Arithmetic · Numerals · Civil engineering · Military engineering · Military technology · Aqueducts · Bridges · Circus · Concrete · Forum · Metallurgy · Roads · Sanitation · Thermae Culture Architecture · Art · Chronology (Ab urbe condita · Roman calendar (Julian) · Festivals) · Cuisine · Wine · Education · School · Literature · Music · Theatre · Mythology · Religion (Funeral • Persecution • Imperial cult) · Bathing · Clothing · Cosmetics · Hairstyles · Romanization Society Social class · Patricians · Plebs · Conflict of the Orders · Secessio plebis · Equestrian order · Gens · Tribes · Naming conventions · Women · Marriage · Prostitution · Slavery Language (Latin) History · Romance languages Versions: Old · Classical · Vulgar · Late · Medieval · Renaissance · New · Contemporary · Ecclesiastical Writers Apuleius · Caesar · Catullus · Cicero · Curtius Rufus · Horace · Juvenal · Livy · Lucretius · Ovid · Petronius · Plautus · Pliny the Elder · Pliny the Younger · Propertius · Sallust · Seneca · Suetonius · Tacitus · Virgil · Vitruvius Lists Outline · Wars · Battles · Generals · Legions · Emperors · Geographers · Institutions · Laws · Consuls · Distinguished women Portal · Timeline