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The praefectus annonae ("prefect of the provisions"), also called the praefectus rei frumentariae ("prefect of the grain supply"), was a Roman official charged with the supervision of the grain supply to the city of Rome. Under the Republic, the job was usually done by an aedile. However, in emergencies, or in times of extraordinary scarcity, someone would be elected to the office, and would take charge of supplying the entire city with provisions.

Lucius Minucius Augurinus, the accuser of Spurius Maelius, was the first individual appointed to this office, serving from 439 BC.^[1] During the early 60s BC, following the sacking of the port of Ostia by pirates, Pompey held the powers of the office. Around 7 BC, the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, followed this example, and after vesting himself with these powers, specified that two former praetors should be appointed each year to carry out the functions of this office. Augustus transferred powers from the aediles to this office, and specified that all holders of the office be members of the Equestrian order. Augustus also specified that these officers were to be aided by an adjutor (from the second century termed a subpraefectus). Later, Augustus specified that the praefecti should be of consular rank. After Augustus' reign, one person would usually hold this office,^[2] frequently for a span of several years. This continued until the fall of the Roman Empire.

During the later Empire, further praefecti annonae were established for the city of Alexandria (Egypt) and the province of Africa, the two chief sources of grain for the provisioning of Rome.

List of known praefecti annonae urbis Romae

The entries from AD 14 to 337 are based on d'Esurac, La préfecture de l'annone, service administratif impérial d'Auguste à Constantin.

Gaius Turranius (AD 14–48)
Pompeius Paulinus (c. 49–54)
Faenius Rufus (55–62)
Gaius Poppaeus Sabinianus (c. 62–65)^[3]
Arrius Varus (70)
Gaius Valerius Paulinus (c. 71–73)^[4]
Lucius Julius Ursus (c. 74–76)
Gaius Tettius Cassianus Priscus (?76–79/80)
Lucius Laberius Maximus (c. 80–82)
Marcus Mettius Rufus (before 88)
Claudius Athenodorus (c. 95)
Gaius Minicius Italus (between 95 and 100)
Servius Sulpicius Similis (between 103 and 107)
Marcus Rutilius Lupus (between 107 and 111)
Claudius Julianus (between 118 and 138)^[i]
Gaius Junius Flavianus (c. 138)
Lucius Valerius Proculus (142–144)
Marcus Petronius Honoratus (between 144 and 147)
Tiberius Claudius Secundinus Lucius Statius Macedo (after 147)
Lucius Volusius Maecianus (150s)
Quintus Baienus Blassianus (between 150 and 161)^[ii]
Titus Furius Victorinus (before 159)
Titus Flavius Titianus (between 161 and 164)
Ulpius Saturninus (166?)
Titus Flavius Piso (c. 177)
Lucius Julius Vehilius Gratus Julianus (until 189)
Papirius Dionysius (189–190)
Claudius Julianus (c. 201)
Quintus Marcius Dioga (between 211 and 217)
Claudius (c. 218)
Domitius Ulpianus (31 March 222 - 1 December 222)
Gaius Attius Alcimus Felicianus (2nd quarter 3rd century)
Caecina Largus (1 February 250)
Flavius Arabianus (between 270 and 275)
Hostilius Antipater (between 268 and 328)
Flavius Domitianus (end 3rd century–beginning 4th century)
Manilius Rusticianus (307 or 309–310)
Scribonius (between 286 and 312)
Aurelius Victorianus (313?)
Gaius Caelius Saturninus (after 312)
Profuturus (318–319)
Mastichianus (326)
Neratius Cerealis (328)
Lucius Crepereius Madalianus (337–341)
Marcus Maecilius Memmius Furius Baburius Caecilianus Placidus (before 340)
Lucius Aurelius Avianius Symmachus (340–350)
Antiochus (350–400)
Publius Attius Clementinus (350–400)
Flavius Hesychius (361–363)
Maximus (365)
Julianus (366)
Aurelianus (367)
Maximinus (368–370)
Ursicinus (372)
Sempronius Faustus (375–378)
Proculus Gregorius (377)
Herculius (383–388)
Nicetius (385)
Ragonius Vincentius Celsus (before 389)
Numerius Projectus (393–394)
Caecilianus (396–397)
Petronius (400–500)
Acholius Abydius (400–600)
Vitalius (403)
Flavius Alexander Cresconius (425–450)
Achilles (450–550)
Sabinus (522)
Paschasius (533–537)^[iii]

List of known praefecti annonae urbis Alexandriae

Claudius (349)
Flavius Soterichus (350/450)

List of known praefecti annonae Africae

Amabilianus (315-316)
Isidorus (368/375)
Demetrianus (369-372)

Notes

^ Addressee of a rescript of Hadrian; otherwise unknown.
^ Dating Blassianus here instead of c. 133, following Bastianini, "Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30^a al 299^p", p. 297, No. 1.
^ Cassiodorus addressed a letter to him. He is probably not the same man as the vir spectabilis involved in a property dispute in 507/511. See Martindale, John R., ed. (1992). The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume III, AD 527–641. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 969. ISBN 0-521-20160-8. and Martindale, John R., ed. (1980). The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume II, AD 395–527. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 835. ISBN 0-521-20159-4.

References

^ Livy, iv.12; Niebuhr, History of Rome, vol. ii, p. 418.
^ Cassius Dio, lii. 24; Digesta, 1 tit. 2 s. 2 §33; 14 tit. 1 s. 1 §18, tit. 5 s. 8; 48 tit. 2 s. 13.
^ AE 2000, 267
^ Added from Magioncalda, "La carriera di l. Iulius Ursus e le alte prefetture equestri nel I sec. D.C."