Vicus (Rome)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ancient Rome
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Ancient Rome
Periods
Roman Kingdom 753 BC – 509 BC Roman Republic 509 BC – 27 BC Roman Empire 27 BC – AD 476 Principate Western Empire Dominate Eastern Empire
Roman Constitution
Constitution of the Kingdom Constitution of the Republic Constitution of the Empire Constitution of the Late Empire History of the Constitution Senate Legislative Assemblies Executive Magistrates
Ordinary Magistrates
Consul Praetor Quaestor Promagistrate Aedile Tribune Censor Governor
Extraordinary Magistrates
Dictator Magister Equitum Consular tribune Rex Triumviri Decemviri
Titles and Honours
Emperor Legatus Dux Officium Praefectus Vicarius Vigintisexviri Lictor Magister Militum Imperator Princeps senatus Pontifex Maximus Augustus Caesar Tetrarch
Precedent and Law
Roman Law Imperium Mos maiorum Collegiality Roman citizenship Auctoritas Cursus honorum
Other countries · Atlas  Politics Portal view • talk • edit

Vicus was the Latin name for the subdivisions into which the 4 Regiones (Regions, divided by tribes) of the city of Republican Rome were divided. Later Augustus, as part of his major reforms, would change this system, into 14 Regiones with the Vici subdivisions of them. The Vicus consisted of one major street and several smaller streets, their total number was 424 and each Vicus elected 4 local Magistrates (Vicomagistri) who commanded a sort of local police chosen from among the people of the Vicus by lot. Occasionally the officers of the Vicomagistri would feature in certain celebrations (primarily the Compitalia) in which they were accompanied by two lictors.^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ Oxford Classical Dictionary, Vicus