Rationibus

The a rationibus was the imperial financial secretary in the Roman Empire.

History

The office of a rationibus was introduced at the beginning of the imperial period. While yet been exercised all secretary duties of a single office under Augustus, that a manual was called, formed probably under Emperor Claudius the specialized secretariats of a rationibus, in charge of the imperial money of from epistulis ( correspondence ) and a libellis, the dealt with the petitions to the Emperor out. In the beginning was the office of the imperial domus, ie the private "house" of the emperor allocated, and so dressed of the members of the familia freed slaves. From the 1st century a silva ( a poem ) of Statius to a unidentified owner of the Office is next to several inscriptions that mention the office of a rationibus, survived. This had all incoming from the realm income to the Emperor and calculates the necessary expenditure, and consequently so was solely responsible for the imperial finances. In the 2nd century the office was then clothed only by men of equestrian rank ( the equites ). The duties of a rationibus were taken from sacrarum comes largitionum by the reforms of the emperor Diocletian at the end of the 3rd century.

Task of a rationibus was to log all actions of the Treasury or of rationalism. These logs came from various provinces then to Rome, where they were reviewed. This should primarily prevent corruption of the Minister of Finance.