Vicarius

For other uses of "the word vicar", see Vicar (disambiguation).
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Vicarius is a Latin word, meaning substitute or deputy. It is the root and origin of the English word "vicar".

Originally, in ancient Rome, this was an equivalent to the English "vice-" (as in "deputy"), used as part of the title of various officials. Each vicarius was assigned to a specific superior official, after whom his full title was generally completed by a genitive (e.g. vicarius praetoris). At a low level of society, the slave of a slave, possibly hired out to raise money to buy manumission, was a servus vicarius.[1]

Later, in the 290s, the Emperor Diocletian carried out a series of administrative reforms, ushering the period of the Dominate. These reforms also saw the number of Roman provinces increased, and the creation of a new administrative level, the diocese. The dioceses, initially twelve, grouped several provinces, each with its own governor. The dioceses were headed by a vicarius, or, more properly, by a vices agens praefectorum praetorio ("deputy of the praetorian prefect"). An exception was the Diocese of Oriens, which was headed by a comes ("count"). In 370 or 381 Egypt and Cyrenaica were detached from the Diocese of the Orient and made a diocese under an official called the Augustal Prefect.

According to the Notitia dignitatum (an early 5th century imperial chancery document), the vicarius had the rank of vir spectabilis; the staff of a vicarius, his officium, was rather similar to a gubernatorial officium. For example, in the diocese of Hispaniae, the his staff included:

Sources and references

References

  1. ↑ P. R. C. Weaver, "Vicarius and Vicarianus in the Familia Caesaris" The Journal of Roman Studies 54.1 and 2 (1964:117-128).