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 · The princeps senatus (plural principes senatus) was the first member by precedence of the Roman Senate. Although officially out of the cursus honorum and owning no imperium, this office brought enormous prestige to the senator holding it. Contents 1 Overview 1.1 List of principes senatus 2 Notes 3 External links Overview The princeps senatus was not a lifetime appointment. He was chosen by every new pair of censors (that is, every 5 years). Censors could, however, confirm a princeps senatus for a period of another 5 years. He was selected from patrician senators with consular rank, usually former censors. The successful candidate had to be a patrician with an impeccable political record, respected by his fellow senators.

Originally, the position of the princeps was one of honor: he had the privilege of speaking first on the topic presented by the presiding magistrate. This gave the position great dignitas as it allowed the princeps to set the tone of the debate in the Senate. In the late Republic and in the Principate, the office gained the prerogatives of the presiding magistrates and additional powers, namely: Summoning and adjourning the Senate Deciding its agenda Deciding where the session should take place Imposing order and other rules of the session Meeting, in the name of the Senate, with embassies of foreign countries Writing, in the name of the Senate, letters and dispatches After the fall of the Roman Republic, the princeps senatus was the Roman Emperor (see also: princeps). However, during the Crisis of the Third Century, some others held the office; the future emperor Valerian held the office in 238, during the reigns of Maximinus Thrax and Gordian I. List of principes senatus Manius Valerius Maximus.1 Marcus Fabius Ambustus.2 ca. 275/269 BC: Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus.3 ca. 269/265 BC: Gaius Marcius Rutilus Censorinus?4 In or after 258 BC: Quintus Fabius Maximus Gurges, son of Rullianus5 ca. 247/241 BC: Gnaeus Cornelius Blasio?6 ca. 236/230 BC: Gaius Duilius?7 ca. 225 BC: Manius Valerius Maximus Messalla?8 ca. 220 BC: Aulus Manlius Torquatus Atticus?9 By 216 BC: Marcus Fabius Buteo.10 209  – 203 BC: Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator.11 199  – 184/183 BC: Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus.12 184/183  – 180 BC: Lucius Valerius Flaccus.13 179  – 153/152 BC: Marcus Aemilius Lepidus.14 153/152  – ca. 147 BC: Position vacant. ca. 147  – : Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Corculum.15 Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Serapio?16 ca. 136  – 130 BC?: Appius Claudius Pulcher.17 130 BC?: Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Lupus.18 ca. 125 BC: Publius Cornelius Lentulus.19 115  – ca. 89 BC: Marcus Aemilius Scaurus.20 By 86 BC: Lucius Valerius Flaccus.21 ca. 70 BC: Mamercus Aemilius Lepidus Livianus.22 Quintus Lutatius Catulus (Capitolinus).23 Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus.24 43  – 43 BC: Marcus Tullius Cicero. (Not a Patrician) 25 43  – 28 BC: Unknown. 28 BC – Augustus, title cohered with that of Roman emperor until beginning of the Dominate Notes ^ Mommsen, Romische Forschungen vol.I (1864) and Ueber den princeps senatus, RhM 19: 455-457 (1864). Willems, Senat de la Republique Romaine vol.I (1878). Suolahti, Princeps senatus, Arctos 7: 207-218 (1972). Rejected by Ryan, Rank and Participation in the Republican Senate p.223 (1998). ^ Mommsen, Willems, Suolahti. Rejected by Ryan. ^ Mommsen, Willems, Suolahti, Ryan. ^ Ryan. ^ Said also to have succeeded his father as Princeps Senatus in 265 BC. ^ Ryan. ^ Ryan. ^ Ryan. ^ Ryan. ^ Willems, Suolahti, Ryan. ^ Mommsen, Willems, Suolahti, Ryan. ^ Mommsen, Willems, Suolahti, Ryan. ^ Mommsen, Willems, Suolahti, Ryan. ^ Mommsen, Willems, Suolahti, Ryan. ^ Mommsen, Willems, Suolahti, Ryan. ^ Willems. Rejected by Suolahti and Ryan. ^ Mommsen, Willems, Suolahti, Ryan. ^ Willems, Suolahti, Ryan. ^ Mommsen, Willems, Suolahti, Ryan. ^ Mommsen, Willems, Suolahti, Ryan. ^ Mommsen, Willems, Suolahti, Ryan. ^ Mommsen. Rejected by Willems, Suolahti, and Ryan. ^ Willems. Rejected by Suolahti and Ryan. ^ Willems. Rejected by Suolahti and Ryan. ^ Willems, Ryan. Rejected by Suolahti. External links The Roman Law Library By Professor Yves Lassard and Alexandr Koptev 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