Praefectus (Nova Roma)

Revision as of 14:54, 24 July 2023

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A praefectus, or "prefect" in English, is an appointee of high rank to serve for various government tasks. Praefecti are appointed in the central administration as well as in the provincial administration.

When it is a central state office, praefecti are high ranking ministers of the government, similar to a modern "secretary of state for education" or a "minister of state for security", just to give some examples.

Praefecti can be appointed either by magistrates or by the senate, but regularly they are appointed by magistrates with imperium. There are, however, low ranking praefecti as well, serving various tasks within a reenactment unit, such as praefectus castrorum or praefectus evocatorum who do not fill any government position but are holding various job appointments within a unit.

The most distinctive praefectura in Nova Roma is the governorship of Italia, the office of the praefectus Italiae, the only praefectus to hold imperium. However, the name of this office goes into abeyance when a sitting consul or praetor gets the task of governing our Italian community, in which case the magistrate in charge is simply styled "consul" or "praetor" "in change of Italia".

The most important praefectus offices in Nova Roma are the following:

1. Praefectus Italiae, the only praefectus with imperium, a promagistrate governing Italy, the spiritual center of Nova Roma
2. Praefectus rei publicae administrandae, with ius edicendi, the head of the administrative offices
3. Praefectus praetorio, the chief of staff of the consular government
4. Praefectus editor principalis Canalis Twitch Novae Romae, an officer in charge of the Nova Roma Twitch Channel
5. Praefectus auxilio civili, with the task to oversee the humanitarian projects of Nova Roma

As a provincial office

When it is a provincial office, the praefectus is a lieutenant governor over a subdivision, a regio or a civitas, of a larger province, or a lieautenant general of a reenactment unit. Praefecti can also be appointed to serve as various provincial government ministers in the governor's staff, responsible for various duties such as research, recruitment, media, forum moderation etc. The praefectus is the highest ranking officer that a governor can create without senate approval. Legates can only be appointed by the senate, and provincial quaestor (as well as proquaestors) depend on election by the comitia.

Great state prefectures

Praefectus rei publicae administrandae

The praefectus rei publicae administrandae has the most important role in the administration of Nova Roma serving as the right hand of the consuls and as head of the Officium Administrationis Publicae (Office of Public Administration). This office was born and developed from the office of the praefectus rei publicae, the Nova Roman equivalent of the ancient praefectus urbi, an officer in charge of the government in the absence or unavailability of the consuls. This office was made permanent and was entrusted with the management of the complex multi-magisterial and inter-office government mechanisms to aid the heavy burden of the consuls.

• Current office holder: Cn. Cornelius Lentulus

Praefectus officio consulari itemque praetorio

Praefectus praetorio for short, this officer is the chief of staff of the consular government, and for practical reasons this position in Nova Roma is combined with the praefectus rei publicae administrandae, because they both work on the enforcement of consular directives.

• Current office holder: Cn. Cornelius Lentulus

Praefectus editor principalis Canalis Twitch Novae Romae

This praefectus is the Editor in Chief of the Nova Roma Twitch Channel.

• Current office holder: D. Aurelius Ingeniarius

Praefectus auxilio civili

This officer is the head of the Officium Auxilii Civilis Novae Romae (Civilian Aid and Rescue Office of Nova Roma).

• Current office holder: C. Artorius Praeconinus

Praefecti governing territories

Praefectus Italiae

The praefectus Italiae is the highest ranking among the praefecti in Nova Roma, and the only one that has imperium. The praefectus Italiae is the governor of Italia Nova Romana, appointed by the senate. The praefectus Italiae has imperium and is entitled to five lictores and sella curulis, and to all powers and privileges that are granted to the normal governors.

• Current office holder: Cn. Cornelius Lentulus

Praefectus regionis

The prefect of a geographic political district of a province, appointed by the governor to oversee and manage the day-to-day operations of the appointed regio. He is a member of the cohors praetoria and consilium provinciae and does not have imperium.

Praefectus civitatis

This is essentially the same as the praefectus regionis, but instead of a regio, the praefectus civitatis is the head of a civitas, which is usually a subdivision of a regio. He is a member of the cohors praetoria and consilium provinciae and does not have imperium.

Praefecti commanding reenactment troops

These offices are often combined with the territorial lieutenant governor praefecti, because it is practical to have the local e.g. praefectus cohortis also as the local lieutenant governor of the area (praefectus regionis).

Praefectus legionis

The praefectus legionis is the commander of a reenactment unit called 'legio. The praefectus legionis does not have imperium, but he is a subordinate, lesser general, under the ceremonial high command of the governor of the province. The rank is technically equivalent to the legatus legionis but formally lower.

Praefectus cohortis

The praefectus cohortis does not have imperium, but he is a subordinate, lesser general, under the ceremonial high command of the governor of the province. The rank is technically equivalent to the legatus legionis but formally lower. The praefectus cohortis is usually the same rank as the praefectus legionis within Nova Roma, because the name of the unit (cohors or legio) is usually just a matter of nomenclature, the cohortes of Nova Roma are usually independent complete units, not subdivisions, just like a legio. The name normally reflects the historical unit that the reenactment unit represents, and is not in relation with the actual structure of the unit (whether it is a subdivision of a larger unit or a complete unit). However, it is technically possible that a larger legio of Nova Roma, led by a praefectus legionis gets subdivided into cohortes: the praefectus of such a cohors would be inferior to the praefectus of the legio. Therefore the rank of the praefectus cohortis depends on whether it is a complete unit or just a subdivision. If it is a complete unit, the office is equal to praefectus legionis. If it is a subdivision, then it is a lower rank.

Praefecti as professional military appointments (jobs)

The following military appointments are filled by the field commanding officers of the reenactment units and are not State Offices of Nova Roma, but simply reenactment military jobs, tasks. They also should not be confused with military ranks proper (such as centurio, optio, tesserarius, signifer etc.), because a praefectus is never a rank but a job asssignment, officially called "an appointment". A soldier may be a centurio and be appointed as praefectus castrorum.

Praefectus castrorum

The praefectus castrorum, or camp prefect, is the responsible of the camp and infrastructure of the reenactment unit, normally appointed by the professional commander of the unit. Only a very few reenactment units have praefecti castrorum because usually groups that don't have a large size camp would not make any practical use of this office. When such an officer is appointed, usually it is just ceremonial, except in larger groups, or in groups with an impressive camp infrastructure.

Praefectus fabrum

The praefectus fabrum is the prefect in charge of fabri, i.e. smiths, craftsmen, well-trained engineers, architects, construction workers and artisans. Only a very few reenactment group can make actual use of such an officer, otherwise it may be a ceremonial appointment.

Various praefecti

We don't provide a complete list as to what kind of professional job appointments can be termed as praefectus in the reenactment army, but examples include: praefectus alae, praefectus sociorum, praefectus classis, praefectus equitatus, praefectus statorum, praefectus veteranorum, praefectus tironum etc. which are of different rank, some higher some very low.

Praefecti vel legati regionum

• Provincia America Noveboracensis et Mediatlantica

Regio Novocaesariensis - Legatus Regionis Novocaesariensis - Fl. Vedius Germanicus

• Provincia Germania

Regio Germania Inferior et Superior et Magna - Proquaestor Regionis Germaniae Inferioris et Superioris et Magnae - C. Artorius Praeconinus

Regio Noricum et Raetia - Proquaestor Regionis Norici et Raetiae - C. Flavius Constantinus Aeneas Stilicho

• Provincia Pannonia

Regio Rostallonensis - Praefectus Regionis Rostallonensis - C. Villius Macro Carbo

• Provincia America Nova Britannia

Regio Cenomania - Praefectus Regionis Cenomaniae - vacant

• Provincia America Transmississippiana

Regio America Texia - Praefectus Regionis Americae Texiae - vacant

Regio Alasca - Praefectus Regionis Alascae - vacant

• Provincia Canada

Regio Canada Citerior - Praefectus Regionis Canadae Citerioris - vacant

Regio Canada Ulterior - Praefectus Regionis Canadae Ulterioris - vacant