A Few Remarks about Quaestor Ostiensis

Abstract

In the history of the Roman Republic, the office of appears to be the most mysterious, and at the same time the least understood, as is evident from the scattered source materials, especially literary accounts. This does not mean, however, that quaestorship was unimportant in political life. One should bear in mind that it was the first step in an official’s career in the ancient Rome. Thus, it opened the door to the office of a praetor or a consul, the most coveted and prestigious magistracies, but of course there are known exceptions to this rule. Although the origins of quaestorship date back to the fifth century BC, the history of quaestor Ostiensis, an enigmatic official not mentioned in historical records which contained only pieces of information, primarily in literary accounts, took a very different shape. He did not appear on the pages of Roman history until the 3rd century BC. The basic facts about quaestor Ostiensis were provided by Cicero, so the analysis of this information is the primary task. The information contained in historical sources is completed in literary accounts by Velleius Paterculus and Lydus, as well as in inscriptions. Their common feature is that they are remarkably laconic, which makes it very difficult to present precisely the scope of the powers of quaestor Ostiensis and to show their possible modification in connection with the changing situation in the ancient Rome. Within the framework of the considerations presented herein, it will be necessary to grasp the historical moment when quaestor Ostiensis gave way to a new magistracy, praefectus annonae.