ACCENSUS, a Roman Officer, whereof there were two Kinds.
The first, were Officers of the Magistrates; that is, of the Consuls, Pretors, Proconsuls, etc., who had their name, Accensi, from acciendo; their principal employment being to call assemblies of the people and summon people to appear in court.
The other order of Accensi were a kind of supernumerary soldiers, kept on foot to be ready to supply the place of those who were killed or wounded in battle. And these, according to Asconius Pedianus, because they were added to the proper number, were called Accensi, quia adcenselantur or accenseiantur, i.e., ad censiim adsicielantur.
ACCENSUS
- Details
- Written by: Ephraïm Chambers
- Category: Unclassified