The Lex Vedia Apparitoria is hereby enacted to create the following decuriae of apparitores and delineate their functions.

I. Accensi can be appointed by imperium holding magistrates and officers (henceforth in this law all types of officers shall be understood in the term magistrate), consuls, praetors, and also by censors, or by anyone who has been granted this right by any law. The main job of accensi shall be the duties of a personal assistant of the magistrate, advising, counseling and office management, but they are not limited by this law to this kind of work. The following are the decuriae accensorum:

A. Decuria (I) accensorum censoriorum

B. Decuria (II) accensorum consularium

C. Decuria (III) accensorum praetoriorum

D. Decuria (IV) accensorum aliorum

II. Scribae can be appointed by any magistrate having the ius edicendi or by anyone who has been granted this right by any law. The main job of scribae shall be clerical, administrative work related to writing, creating documents, or communication, but they are not limited by this law to this kind of work. The following are the decuriae scribarum:

A. Decuriae maiores scribarum:

1. Decuria (I) scribarum censoriorum

2. Decuria (II) scribarum consularium

3. Decuria (III) scribarum praetoriorum

B. Decuriae minores scribarum:

1. Decuria (I) scribarum aediliciorum

2. Decuria (II) scribarum tribuniciorum

3. Decuria (III) scribarum quaestoriorum

4. Decuria (IV) scribarum aliorum

III. Praecones can be appointed by any magistrate having the ius edicendi or by anyone who has been granted this right by any law. Interpretes shall be considered as a subtype of the praecones. The main job of praeconum shall be the duties of a herald and public crier, tasks related to communication, publicity, networking and information, but they are not limited by this law to this kind of work. The following are the decuriae praeconum:

A. Decuriae maiores praeconum:

1. Decuria (I) praeconum censoriorum

2. Decuria (II) praeconum consularium

3. Decuria (III) praeconum praetoriorum

B. Decuriae minores praeconum:

1. Decuria (I) praeconum aediliciorum

2. Decuria (II) praeconum tribuniciorum

3. Decuria (III) praeconum quaestoriorum

4. Decuria (IV) praeconum aliorum

IV. Lictores can be appointed, in a limited number defined by law, by imperium holding magistrates, consuls, praetors, by governors, or by anyone who has been granted this right by any law. The main job of lictores shall be the duties of bodyguard and protector of a magistrate, a bailiff or law enforcement officer, government police officer, which in our modern context may include serving as an honor guard at events for the magistrate, contacting, communication and representation, moderation of public forums, but they are not limited by this law to this kind of work. The following are the decuriae lictorum:

A. Decuria (I) lictorum consularium

B. Decuria (II) lictorum praetoriorum

C. Decuria (III) lictorum aediliciorum

D. Decuria (IV) lictorum curiatorum

E. Decuria (V) lictorum aliorum

V. Viatores [1] can be appointed by any magistrate having the ius edicendi or by anyone who has been granted this right by any law. The main job of viatores shall be the duties of a messenger and bailiff, law enforcement and police work, which in our modern context may include contacting, networking, communication and representation, moderation of public forums, but they are not limited by this law to this kind of work. The following are the decuriae viatorum:

A. Decuriae maiores viatorum:

1. Decuria (I) viatorum censoriorum

2. Decuria (II) viatorum consularium

3. Decuria (III) viatorum praetoriorum

B. Decuriae minores viatorum:

1. Decuria (I) viatorum aediliciorum

2. Decuria (II) viatorum tribuniciorum

3. Decuria (III) viatorum quaestoriorum

4. Decuria (IV) viatorum aliorum

VI. The officers with the generic term “apparitor” can be appointed by any magistrate having the ius edicendi or by anyone who has been granted this right by any law. An officer with the generic term apparitor may receive any type of work assigned to him, but they shall normally be advisors, personal assistants and higher ranking members of the staff. The following are the decuriae apparitorum:

A. Decuriae maiores apparitorum:

1. Decuria (I) apparitorum censoriorum

2. Decuria (II) apparitorum consularium

3. Decuria (III) apparitorum praetoriorum

B. Decuriae minores apparitorum:

1. Decuria (I) apparitorum aediliciorum

2. Decuria (II) apparitorum tribuniciorum

3. Decuria (III) apparitorum quaestoriorum

4. Decuria (IV) apparitorum aliorum

VII. Pullarii can be appointed by any augur or by anyone who has been granted this right by any law. The main job of pullarii shall be serving as assistant to an augur, but they are not limited by this law to this kind of work. The pullarii have only one decuria, the decuria pullariorum.

VIII. Other type of apparitores (subordinate officers, staff members, assistants) with titles that are not identified as any of the categories of apparitores in this law may be appointed by any magistrate having the ius edicendi, or by anyone who has been granted this right by any law, but shall not have the right to belong to any decuria.

IX. Other titles and offices can be defined for apparitores in law, which shall be identified as subtypes of these established categories of apparitores, and then they will belong to the decuria of the larger category of title under which they have been identified (for example, this present lex defined the interpretes as one of the praecones, and thus they have the full title “praeco interpres”, and belong to the decuriae praeconum).

X. Other magistrates or even priests, collegia, councils and institutions and societies of Nova Roma shall have the right to appoint any other type of the apparitores than what this present lex allowed if they can cite historical evidence in the appointing document proving that the specific person or entity was entitled to that type of apparitor in ancient Rome.

XI. Organization of the decuriae

Apparitores shall be assigned into decuriae based on the office of the appointing magistrate (as signed in the title of the decuria).

XI.A. A person can belong to many decuriae at the same time, depending on how many different magistrates have appointed the citizen. Membership in the decuria starts with the relevant appointment to the apparitor position and ends with the termination of the office.

XI.B. Decuriae that contain at least three members are entitled to elect, if they decide so, a magister decuriae or decurio, for a one year (renewable) term, to represent their members and their interests, and to promote cohesion and collaboration between the same type of officers working for the same type of magistrates. Decuriones or magistri decuriae do not receive census points for this office.

XI.C. The album decuriarum apparitoriarum. decuriae, their membership and the decuriones, shall be published and maintained on the official website of Nova Roma by the praefectus rei publicae administrandae.

XII. Evaluation of the work of apparitores

XII.A. Before the end of their term of office, superiors of the apparitores shall review the work performance of their apparitores in an edict. If the superior does not have the ius edicendi, the praefectus rei publicae administrandae shall issue the edict for that officer.

XII.A.1. In the edict, the superiors shall give one of these marks to their apparitores: “EXCELLENT”, “ADEQUATE”, or “UNSATISFACTORY”.

XII.A.2. If the superior fails to publish the edict on the apparitores’ work performance review, or missing one of the apparitores, their apparitores shall receive the mark “NO REVIEW”.

XII.A.3. Apparitores who resign from office shall also receive the mark “NO REVIEW”.

XII.A.4. Apparitores who are removed by edict during the year shall receive their review at that time.

XII.B. These marks shall be recorded and publicly displayed on the official website of Nova Roma, in the album of the memberships of the decuriae. After three “UNSATISFACTORY” and “NO REVIEW” marks combined, the apparitor shall lose 10 Census Points each time three are reached. The reason for the penalty in case of the “NO REVIEW” mark didactical: it shall be understood as the apparitores’ failure to assist, warn and urge the magistrate to perform the required task even if it was entirely the failure of the magistrate. On one hand, negligent magistrates cause harm to their apparitores, and in the future people should avoid working for such magistrates; on the other hand, apparitores who cannot make their superior to do this task in the interest of the entire staff, or who do not care to remind and assist their superiors about matters so important, may also learn from the failure.

Praetorian commentary on legislation affecting this lex

Comment [1]. As articulated in the Edictum praetorium de legibus mutandis, the Lex Arminia de ministris tribunorum introduces additions to this lex. Under article 2 of the Lex Arminia de ministris tribunorum, all appointees to a decuriae viatorum must be of the plebeian order.

Previous versions of the lex Vedia apparitoria

I. From the preamble, the lex Arria de decuriis apparitorum, approved on the a.d. VII Kal. Ian. ‡ Q. Arrio (III) A. Tullia cos. ‡ MMDCCLXXIV a.u.c., removed the IV.A.8 section reference in the first paragraph and sections I-IV of the original lex were replaced.

Lex Vedia apparitoria has put the bases of two categories of apparitors: the lictors, who are ceremonial ones, and the other ones whose missions are administrative ones. This last category contains the scribes and the consular assistants (accensi). Lex Arminia de ministris tribunorum has completed this building by the introduction of a special sub-class of scribes, the viatores, who are assigned to the only tribunes of the plebs.

In accordance with paragraph IV.A.8. of the Constitution of Nova Roma, the Lex Vedia Apparitoria is hereby enacted to create the following decuriae of apparitores and delineate their functions.

I. Decuria Lictoria

The decuria lictoria shall consist of lictores (lictors), who shall undertake those ceremonial functions as shall be assigned to them by the Senate, including, but not limited to, preceding those magistrates with Imperium at public functions and accompanying traveling Senators. Members of the decuria lictoria shall be appointed by magistrates holding Imperium.

II. Decuria Lictoria Curiata

The decuria lictoria curiata shall consist of the thirty lictores curiati (lictors of the comitia curiata) who shall make up the comitia curiata, and who shall undertake those ceremonial functions as shall be assigned to them by the collegium pontificum. Members of the decuria lictoria curiata shall be appointed by the collegium pontificum.

III. Decuria Scribarum

The decuria scribarum shall consist of scribae (clerks), who shall undertake those administrative and other functions as shall be assigned to them by the magistrate or provincial governor they are assisting. Members of the decuria scribarum shall be appointed by those magistrates with the Constitutional authority to appoint scribae.

IV. Decuria Accensorum

The decuria accensorum shall consist of accensi (personal assistants), who shall undertake those administrative and other functions as shall be assigned to them by the consul whom they assist. Members of the decuria accensorum shall be appointed by the consuls.