Decaproti

Decaproti (δεκάπρωτοι). In the Greek-speaking cities of the Roman empire a committee of ten, or more rarely of twenty (εἰκοσάπρωτοι, icosaproti), was chosen from among the decuriones or provincial senators, and charged with the collection of the taxes, for which they were made responsible. These decaproti are to be distinguished from the DECEM PRIMI in Rome and the Italian municipia, who were honorary representatives of their curia, but not magistrates. The decaproti were, on the contrary, officials charged with very burdensome duties, of which the following extracts from the Digest will give a sufficient idea. The decemprimatus is a munus patrimonii or burden upon property (Dig. 50, 4, 1.1); and as such might be imposed upon persons below the age of twenty-five, who were exempt from the corporale ministerium or personal service (Dig. 50, 4, 3.10). They were responsible not merely for the collection of the tributum, but for arrears owing by deceased persons (nam decaproti et icosaproti tributa exigentes et corporale ministerium gerunt, et pro muneribus defunctorum fiscalia onera resarciunt, Dig. 50, 4, 18.26). They were chosen by their fellow-decuriones for a limited term; if annually, as Waddington (on Inscr. 1106) and Humbert think, they must have been capable of re-election (δεκαπρωτεύσας ἔτη ί at Thyatira, C. I. G. 3490). These officers occur in the island of Amorgos (C. I. G. 2264), at Cius in Bithynia (ib. 3732), Patara in Lycia (ib. 4289), Iotapa in Cilicia (ib. 4413, 4415), and in various cities of proconsular Asia (ib. Nos. 3201, 3418, 3496, 3498). (Marquardt, Staatsverw. i.² 213 f.; Humbert in D. and S., s. v.) Compare DECURIONES

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