List of censors of the Roman Republic

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This list of Roman censors includes all holders through to its subsumption under that of Roman emperor in 22BC.

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Censors were elected by the Centuriate Assembly and served as a duo. Censors were elected to take an account of all citizens and their property value before performing a rite of religious purification. Roman taxes were levied based on the censors' account, and the censors could punitively tax citizens who failed to present at the census or falsely accounted for their property.

Whilst having no right to uphold law or command in war, the office of censor was the highest honour. Unlike the office of consul, which deteriorated over the Roman Republic period, most censors were men of exceptional standing and character. [1] Censors were known also as castigatores (English: chastisers) for their duty as the regulators of public morality. For instance, in 92 BC censors Domitius Ahenobarbus and Crassus condemned the teaching of rhetoric in Latin (as opposed to the customary Greek):

We have been informed that there are persons who have established a novel sort of instruction and that the youth gather at their school; that these people have styled themselves "Latin rhetoricians"; and that young persons idle away whole days there. […] These new practices, which do not accord with ordinary custom and the way of our ancestors, are vexatious and wayward-seeming. Therefore we make our judgment plain both to those who preside over these schools and those who have become accustomed to attending them: we do not approve. [2]

Initially, censors were chosen exclusively from among Roman citizens of patrician birth. In 332 BC, Quintus Publilius Philo was elected the first Plebeian censor[ clarification needed ] after legislation – that he introduced while dictator – providing one censor of each two must be a plebeian.

5th century BC

Before 443 BC, the consuls were responsible for the census. In 443 BC, the right to take the census was moved from the consuls to the newly established office of censor. They were chosen exclusively from Patricians.

YearBirthNamesCompletedChanged Senate or equites rollLaws or regulations promulgatedUndertook public works or building
443Patrician Lucius Papirius Mugillanus YesNoNoNo
Patrician Lucius Sempronius Atratinus YesNoNoNo
435 [3] Patrician Gaius Furius Paculus Fusus YesNoNoYes
Patrician Marcus Geganius Macerinus YesNoNoYes
430Patrician Lucius Papirius (Crassus?)
PatricianPublius Pinarius (Mamercinus?)
418PatricianUnknownUnknownNoNoNo
Patrician Lucius Papirius Mugillanus UnknownNoNoNo
403Patrician Marcus Furius Camillus
Patrician Marcus Postumius Albinus Regillensis

4th century BC

In 393 BC, Marcus Cornelius P.f. P. n. Maluginensis was elected suffect censor to replace the deceased censor Gaius Iulius Iullus. In 351 BC, Gaius Marcius Rutilus was elected as the first plebeian censor. According to the Lex Publilia, since 339 BC at least one of the censors had to be plebeian. In 312 BC, Appius Claudius Caecus was elected censor without being consul before.

YearBirthName
393Patrician Lucius Papirius Cursor
Patrician Gaius Iulius Iullus
Patrician Marcus Cornelius P. f. P. n. Maluginensis (Suffect)
389 [4] Patrician Marcus Furius Fusus (?)
Patrician Lucius Papirius Mugillanus (?)
380Patrician Spurius Postumius Albinus Regillensis
Patrician Gaius Sulpicius Camerinus
378Patrician Spurius Servilius Priscus
Patrician Quintus Cloelius Siculus
366Patrician Gaius Sulpicius Peticus
PatricianPostumius Regillensis Albinus (?)
363Patrician Marcus Fabius Ambustus
Patrician Lucius Furius Medullinus
351Patrician Gnaeus Manlius Capitolinus Imperiosus
Plebeian Gaius Marcius Rutilus
340 [5] Patrician Lucius Cornelius Scipio
Plebeian Publius Cornelius Scipio
332Patrician Spurius Postumius Albinus Caudinus
Plebeian Quintus Publilius Philo
319Patrician Gaius Sulpicius Longus [6]
UnknownUnknown
318Patrician Lucius Papirius Crassus
Plebeian Gaius Maenius
312Patrician Appius Claudius Caecus
Plebeian Gaius Plautius Venox
307Patrician Marcus Valerius Maximus Corvinus
Plebeian Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus
304Patrician Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus
Plebeian Publius Decius Mus

3rd century BC

In 294 and 265 BC, Gaius Marcius Rutilus Censorinus was elected censor. This was the only time a person was elected censor twice. Marcius prevented this situation from repeating itself by originating a law stating that no one could be elected censor twice.

YearBirthName
300Patrician Publius Sulpicius Saverrio
Plebeian Publius Sempronius Sophus
294Patrician Publius Cornelius Arvina
Plebeian Gaius Marcius Rutilus Censorinus
289 [7] Patrician Quintus Fabius Maximus Gurges (?)
Plebeian Spurius Carvilius Maximus (?)
283Unknown ?
Plebeian Quintus Caedicius Noctua [8]
280Patrician Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus
Plebeian Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus Maximus
275Patrician Quintus Aemilius Papus
Plebeian Gaius Fabricius Luscinus
272Patrician Lucius Papirius Praetextatus
Plebeian Manlius Curius Dentatus
269Patrician Lucius Aemilius Barbula
Plebeian Quintus Marcius Philippus
265Patrician Gnaeus Cornelius Blasio
Plebeian Gaius Marcius Rutilus Censorinus II
258Patrician Lucius Cornelius Scipio
Plebeian Gaius Duilius
253Patrician Lucius Postumius Megellus
Plebeian Decimus Junius Pera
252Patrician Manius Valerius Maximus Corvinus Messalla
Plebeian Publius Sempronius Sophus
247Patrician Aulus Manlius Torquatus Atticus
Plebeian Aulus Atilius Calatinus
241Patrician Marcus Fabius Buteo
Plebeian Gaius Aurelius Cotta
236Patrician Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Caudinus
Plebeian Quintus Lutatius Cerco
234Patrician Aulus Postumius Albinus
Plebeian Gaius Atilius Bulbus
231Patrician Titus Manlius Torquatus
Plebeian Quintus Fulvius Flaccus
230Patrician Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus
Plebeian Marcus Sempronius Tuditanus
225Patrician Gaius Claudius Centho
Plebeian Marcus Junius Pera
220Patrician Lucius Aemilius Papus
Plebeian Gaius Flaminius
214Patrician Publius Furius Philus
Plebeian Marcus Atilius Regulus
210Patrician Lucius Veturius Philo
Plebeian Publius Licinius Crassus Dives
209Patrician Marcus Cornelius Cethegus
Plebeian Publius Sempronius Tuditanus
204Patrician Gaius Claudius Nero
Plebeian Marcus Livius Salinator

2nd century BC

In 131 BC, for the first time both censors were plebeian.

After only one year in office the in 109 BC elected censor Marcus Livius Drusus died. His colleague Marcus Aemilius Scaurus at first refused to resign but resigned when new censors were elected in 108 BC.

YearBirthName
199Patrician Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus
Plebeian Publius Aelius Paetus
194Patrician Gaius Cornelius Cethegus
Plebeian Sextus Aelius Paetus Catus
189Patrician Titus Quinctius Flamininus
Plebeian Marcus Claudius Marcellus
184Patrician Lucius Valerius Flaccus
Plebeian Marcus Porcius Cato
179Patrician Marcus Aemilius Lepidus
Plebeian Marcus Fulvius Nobilior
174Patrician Aulus Postumius Albinus Luscus
Plebeian Quintus Fulvius Flaccus
169Patrician Gaius Claudius Pulcher
Plebeian Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus
164Patrician Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus
Plebeian Quintus Marcius Philippus
159Patrician Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Corculum
Plebeian Marcus Popillius Laenas
154Patrician Marcus Valerius Messalla
Plebeian Gaius Cassius Longinus
147Patrician Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Lupus
Plebeian Lucius Marcius Censorinus
142Patrician Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus
Plebeian Lucius Mummius Achaicus
136Patrician Appius Claudius Pulcher
Plebeian Quintus Fulvius Nobilior
131Plebeian Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus
Plebeian Quintus Pompeius
125Patrician Gnaeus Servilius Caepio
Plebeian Lucius Cassius Longinus Ravilla
120Plebeian Quintus Caecilius Metellus Balearicus
Plebeian Lucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi
115Plebeian Lucius Caecilius Metellus Diadematus
Plebeian Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus
109Patrician Marcus Aemilius Scaurus
Plebeian Marcus Livius Drusus
108Patrician Quintus Fabius Maximus Eburnus
Plebeian Gaius Licinius Geta
102Plebeian Gaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius
Plebeian Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus

1st century BC

Lucius Marcius Philippus and Marcus Perperna were elected censors in 86 BC. Due to civil war and the consequences of Sulla's dictatorship, no new censors were elected until 70 BC.

YearBirthName
97Patrician Lucius Valerius Flaccus
Plebeian Marcus Antonius
92Plebeian Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus
Plebeian Lucius Licinius Crassus
89Patrician Lucius Julius Caesar
Plebeian Publius Licinius Crassus
86Plebeian Lucius Marcius Philippus
Plebeian Marcus Perperna
70Patrician Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus
Plebeian Lucius Gellius
65Plebeian Marcus Licinius Crassus
Plebeian Quintus Lutatius Catulus
64UnknownUnknown
Plebeian Lucius Aurelius Cotta [9]
61PatricianUnknown - there is an unproven and unsourced modern claim it may have been Lucius Julius Caesar [10]
PlebeianUnknown - there is an unproven and unsourced modern claim it may have been Gaius Scribonius Curio [11]
55Patrician Marcus Valerius Messalla Niger
Plebeian Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus
50Patrician Appius Claudius Pulcher
Plebeian Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus
42Patrician Publius Sulpicius Rufus
Plebeian Gaius Antonius Hybrida
28Patrician Caesar Augustus
Plebeian Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (They did not hold the title Censor)
22Patrician Paullus Aemilius Lepidus
Plebeian Lucius Munatius Plancus
8Patrician Caesar Augustus as sole censor

After the Republic

With the solidification of Augustus' rule, the Roman Republic came to an end. The office of censor nominally continued a small way into the Roman Empire, for example in 14 AD when Caesar Augustus held the office with Tiberius Caesar.

Notes

  1. Cram, Robert Vincent. “The Roman Censors.” Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, vol. 51, 1940, pp. 71–110. JSTOR, JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/310923.
  2. tr. W. M. Bloomer, The School of Rome: Latin Studies and the Origins of Liberal Education (2011).
  3. Livy 4.22.7
  4. Broughton notes "This censorship is very doubtful." Diodorus Siculus (15.22.1) is our source for this censorship; Livy does (6.5.8) not mention them; this portion of the Fasti Capitolini is missing. These persons are otherwise unknown. (Broughton, Magistrates of the Roman Republic, vol. 1 p. 98 n. 3)
  5. Velleius Paterculus, 2.8.2. Broughton indicates that this censorship is doubtful, "since Velleius may possibly be thinking simply of brothers who were colleagues in the same office and not specifically of the censorship." (Magistrates of the Roman Republic, vol. 1 p. 137 n. 4)
  6. Broughton: "The name of the second Censor is lost. They did not complete the lustrum and probably abdicated, since others were elected to the censorship in 318." (Magistrates of the Roman Republic, vol. 1 p. 154 n. 2)
  7. Broughton notes, "Both the date of this censorship and the names of the Censors remain not completely certain" and discusses the issues. Magistrates of the Roman Republic, vol. 1 p. 184 n. 2
  8. The authority for this year, the Fasti Capitolini is damaged at this point and only indicates Noctua abdicated.
  9. According to Broughton, the name of his colleague is unknown. (Magistrates of the Roman Republic, vol. 2 p. 161)
  10. Broughton, Magistrates of the Roman Republic vol. 3, p. 110
  11. Although there is ample proof that censors were elected this year (for example, Dio Cassius 37.46.4), no primary source recorded their names. Scribonius was suggested by Bartolommeo Borghesi as one of the possible censors. (Broughton, Magistrates of the Roman Republic, vol. 2 p. 179)

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