List of censors of the Roman Republic
This is a list of censors of the Roman Republic, consisting of all recorded office holders. This list, unless otherwise indicated, is taken from Thomas Robert Shannon Broughton, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, Philological Monograph No. 15, vols. 1 and 2. (New York: American Philological Association, 1951, 1952).
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.
| Year | Patrician censors | Plebeian censors |
|---|---|---|
| 443 | Lucius Papirius Mugillanus Lucius Sempronius Atratinus |
|
| 435 | Gaius Furius Pacilus Fusus Marcus Geganius Macerinus |
|
| 418 | Manius Aemilius Mamercinus Lucius Papirius Mugillanus |
|
| 403 | Marcus Furius Camillus Marcus Postumius Albinus Regillensis |
|
4th century BC
In 393 BC, Marcus Cornelius 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.
| Year | Patrician censors | Plebeian censors |
|---|---|---|
| 393 | Lucius Papirius Cursor Gaius Iulius Iullus Marcus Cornelius Maluginensis (Suffect) |
|
| 389[1] | Marcus Furius Fusus (?) Lucius Papirius Mugillanus (?) |
|
| 380 | Spurius Postumius Albinus Regillensis Gaius Sulpicius Camerinus |
|
| 378 | Spurius Servilius Priscus Quintus Cloelius Siculus |
|
| 366 | Gaius Sulpicius Peticus Postumius Regillensis Albinus (?) |
|
| 363 | Marcus Fabius Ambustus Lucius Furius Medullinus |
|
| 351 | Gnaeus Manlius Capitolinus Imperiosus | Gaius Marcius Rutilus |
| 340[2] | Lucius Cornelius Scipio | Publius Cornelius Scipio |
| 332 | Spurius Postumius Albinus Caudinus | Quintus Publilius Philo |
| 319 | Gaius Sulpicius Longus[3] | |
| 318 | Lucius Papirius Crassus | Gaius Maenius |
| 312 | Appius Claudius Caecus | Gaius Plautius Venox |
| 307 | Marcus Valerius Maximus Corvinus | Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus |
| 304 | Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus | 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.
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.
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.
| Year | Patrician censors | Plebeian censors |
|---|---|---|
| 97 | Lucius Valerius Flaccus | Marcus Antonius Orator |
| 92 | --- | Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus Lucius Licinius Crassus |
| 89 | Lucius Julius Caesar | Publius Licinius Crassus |
| 86 | --- | Lucius Marcius Philippus Marcus Perperna |
| 70 | Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus | Lucius Gellius Poplicola |
| 65 | --- | Marcus Licinius Crassus Quintus Lutatius Catulus |
| 64 | ? | Lucius Aurelius Cotta[6] |
| 61 | ? | Gaius Scribonius Curio[7] |
| 55 | Marcus Valerius Messalla Niger | Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus |
| 50 | Appius Claudius Pulcher | Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus |
| 42 | Publius Sulpicius Rufus | Gaius Antonius Hybrida |
| 28 | Caesar Augustus | Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (They did not hold the title Censor) |
| 22 | Paullus Aemilius Lepidus | Lucius Munatius Plancus |
| 8 | Caesar Augustus (sole censor) | --- |
- 14 AD - Caesar Augustus and Tiberius Julius Caesar
Notes
- ↑ 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)
- ↑ 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)
- ↑ 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)
- ↑ 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
- ↑ The authority for this year, the Fasti Capitolini is damaged at this point and only indicates Noctua abdicated.
- ↑ According to Broughton, the name of his colleague is unknown. (Magistrates of the Roman Republic, vol. 2 p. 161)
- ↑ 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)