s always accompanied in public by twelve lictors, who preceded him in
single file, each carrying on his shoulders a bundle of rods (_fasces_),
to signify the power of the magistrate to scourge criminals. Outside the
city, these fasces showed an axe projecting from each bundle, signifying
the power of the magistrate to behead criminals."

At the expiration of his year of office, the Consul was sent to govern a
province for one year, and was then called the _Proconsul_. He was chief
in his province in all military, civil, and criminal cases.

PRAETORS.

There were eight Praetors, whose duties were to administer justice
(judges). After the expiration of their year of office, they went,
as _Propraetors_, to govern provinces. The most important Praetor was
called _Praetor Urbanus_. He had charge of all civil suits between Roman
citizens. In the absence of both Consuls from the city, he acted in
their place. Each Praetor was attended by two lictors in the city, and
by six outside. The _Praetor Peregrinus_ had charge of civil cases in
which one or both parties were aliens. The other six Praetors presided
over the permanent criminal courts.

AEDILES.

The Aediles were four officers who had the general superintendence of
the police of the city, and the care of the public games and buildings.
Two of the Aediles were taken from the plebeians, and two, called Curule
Aediles, ranked with the higher magistrates, and might be patricians.
They were elected in the Comitia Tributa. Their supervision of the
public games gave them great opportunities for gaining favor with the
populace, who then, as now, delighted in circuses and contests. A small
sum was appropriated from the public treasury for these games; but
an Aedile usually expended much from his own purse to make the show
magnificent, and thus to gain votes for the next office, that of
Praetor. Only the very wealthy could afford to hold this office.

QUAESTORS.

There were twenty Quaestors. Two were city treasurers at Rome, having
charge also of the archives. The others were assigned to the different
governors of the provinces, and acted as quartermasters. Through their
clerks, the two city Quaestors kept the accounts, received the taxes,
and paid out the city's money, as directed by the Senate. A Quaestor
always accompanied every Imperator (general) in the field as his
quartermaster. The elections for Quaestors were held in the Comitia
Tributa.

TRIBUNI PLEBIS.