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Quaestor is a type of public official.

In the Roman Republic
Roman Republic

The Roman Republic was the phase of the Ancient Rome characterized by a republican form of government; a period which began with the overthrow of the Roman Roman Kingdom, c....
 a quaestor was an elected official who supervised the treasury and financial affairs of the state, its armies and its officers.

Today quaestor is used as the title of financial oversight officials, and as a senior police rank. It is a police rank in Italy and Romania.

uaestors were elected officials of the Roman Republic
Roman Republic

The Roman Republic was the phase of the Ancient Rome characterized by a republican form of government; a period which began with the overthrow of the Roman Roman Kingdom, c....
 who supervised the treasury and financial affairs of the state, its armies and its officers.






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Quaestor is a type of public official.

In the Roman Republic
Roman Republic

The Roman Republic was the phase of the Ancient Rome characterized by a republican form of government; a period which began with the overthrow of the Roman Roman Kingdom, c....
 a quaestor was an elected official who supervised the treasury and financial affairs of the state, its armies and its officers.

Today quaestor is used as the title of financial oversight officials, and as a senior police rank. It is a police rank in Italy and Romania.

History

Quaestors were elected officials of the Roman Republic
Roman Republic

The Roman Republic was the phase of the Ancient Rome characterized by a republican form of government; a period which began with the overthrow of the Roman Roman Kingdom, c....
 who supervised the treasury and financial affairs of the state, its armies and its officers. The office may date back to the time of the Kingdom of Rome. By about 420 BC there were four Quaestors, elected each year by the Comitia Tributa, and after 267 BC there were ten. Some Quaestors were assigned to work in the City, while others were assigned to the staffs of general
General

A General officer is an Officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is just called general....
s or served the Roman Governor
Roman governor

A Roman governor was an official either elected or appointed to be the chief administrator of Roman law throughout one or more of the many Roman province constituting the Roman Empire....
s as Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor

A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. In the United States and many Commonwealth of Nations systems, lieutenant governors are usually deputy heads of state....
s in the provinces. Still others were assigned to oversee military finances.

Quaestors were originally appointed by the consuls to investigate criminal acts and determine if the consul needed to take public action. They eventually became elected officials and took on additional responsibilities, such as supervising the treasury (for which they are best known). The office of Quaestor was adopted as part of the Cursus honorum
Cursus honorum

The cursus honorum was the Sequence order of public offices held by aspiring politicians in both the Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire....
.

During the reforms of Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla

Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix , or simply Sulla, was a Roman general and politician, holding the office of consul twice as well as the Roman dictator....
 in 81 BC, the minimum age for a quaestorship was set at 30 for patrician
Patrician

The term "patrician" originally referred to a group of elitism citizens in ancient Rome, including both their natural and adopted members. In the late Roman empire, the class was broadened to include high council officials, and after the fall of the Western Empire became a term for Byzantine Imperial governors in the West....
s and at 32 for plebeians, and election to the quaestorship gave automatic membership in the Senate. Before that, the censor
Censor (ancient Rome)

A Censor was a Magistratus of high rank in the ancient Roman Republic. This position was responsible for maintaining the census, supervising public morality, and overseeing certain aspects of the government's finances....
s revised the rolls of the Senate less regularly than the annual induction of quaestors created. The number of quaestors was also raised to 20.

Modern Usage


Police

In Italy a quaestor (Italian: questore) is a senior Police
Police

Police are agents or agencies, usually of the executive , empowered to enforce the law and to ensure public and social order through the legitimized use of force....
 rank. Quaestor heads the State's Police (Polizia di Stato
Polizia di Stato

The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is responsible for providing general police duties in Italy; patrolling motorways , railways, airports, customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police forces....
) in province and his office is called questura, but some officers with this rank have other assignmens.

In Romania
Romania

Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....
 a quaestor (Romanian: chestor) is also a senior Police rank
Romanian Police

The Romanian Police is the National police and main civil law enforcement agency in Romania. It is subordinated to the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform ....
.

Financial oversight

The European Parliament has six Quaestors to look after the financial and administrative needs of its members.

Some ancient British universities, such as the University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews

The University of St Andrews is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation university in Scotland and third oldest in the English-speaking world, having been founded between 1410 and 1413....
, still have a Quaestor whose responsibilities are in leading and developing effective and efficient financial control and management within the University.

See also

  • Constitution of the Roman Republic
    Constitution of the Roman Republic

    The Constitution of the Roman Republic or also known as mos maiorum was an unwritten set of guidelines and principles passed down mainly through precedent....
  • Cursus honorum
    Cursus honorum

    The cursus honorum was the Sequence order of public offices held by aspiring politicians in both the Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire....
  • Roman Republic
    Roman Republic

    The Roman Republic was the phase of the Ancient Rome characterized by a republican form of government; a period which began with the overthrow of the Roman Roman Kingdom, c....


Sources of Further Reading

  • Bourne, Frank (Princeton University). "A History of the Romans" Boston, MA. 1967, D.C. Heath and Company


External links