In the
Roman Republic, the term
vir consularis (rendered in Greek as ,
hypatikos) or
consularis designated any
senator who had served as
consul. The distinction was accompanied by specific privileges and honours, and was normally a necessary qualification for a number of
magistracies: the posts of
dictator and his deputy, the
magister equitum (although some cases seem to refute that), the post of
censor as well as the governance of certain
provinces as
proconsuls. The distinction was attached to their wives as well (
consularis femina, in Greek ὑπατική or ὑπάτισσα). Under the Principate, the status of
consularis could be gained, without holding the consulship, by the gift of the emperor, either through admission to the senate (
adlectio inter consulares) or (more rarely) through the award of the consular insignia (
ornamenta/insignia consularia). • five in the
Diocese of the East:
Palaestina Prima,
Phoenice,
Syria Prima,
Cilicia Prima and
Cyprus • three in the
Diocese of Asia:
Pamphylia,
Hellespontus and
Lydia • two in the
Diocese of Pontus:
Galatia and
Bithynia • two in the
Diocese of Thrace:
Europa and
Thracia • three in the
Diocese of Illyricum:
Creta (Crete),
Macedonia and
Dacia Mediterranea • the
Diocese of Egypt—
sui generis as the imperial crown domain—is explicitly said to have none ;in twenty-one provinces in the
Western Roman Empire • one in the
Diocese of Pannonia:
Pannonia Secunda • eight in the two Italian dioceses:
Venetia et Histria,
Aemilia,
Liguria,
Flaminia et Picenum Annonarium,
Tuscia et Umbria,
Picenum Suburbicarium,
Campania and
Sicilia • two in the
Diocese of Africa:
Byzacena and Numidia • three in the
Diocese of Spain:
Baetica,
Lusitania,
Gallaecia • six in the
Diocese of Gaul:
Viennensis,
Lugdunensis Prima,
Germania Prima,
Germania Secunda,
Belgica Prima and
Belgica Secunda • two in the
Diocese of Britain:
Maxima Caesariensis and
Valentia The
Notitia gives the following staff (
officium) for a
consularis of the West:
princeps officii (detached from the
praetorian prefecture), a
cornicularius, two
tabularii, an
adiutor, a
commentariensis, an
ab actis, a
subadiuva, and various
exceptores and
cohortalini, i.e. menial staff. For the East, the
officium was slightly different:
princeps officii,
cornicularius,
commentariensis,
adiutor,
numerarius,
ab actis,
a libellis, and the usual
exceptores and
cohortalini. The
Synecdemus, written some time shortly before 535, lists the following provinces under
consulares: Europa, Thracia, Macedonia Prima, Creta,
Epirus Nova, Dacia Mediterranea, Hellespontus,
Phrygia Pacatiana and
Phrygia Salutaris, Lydia,
Pisidia,
Lycaonia, Pamphylia,
Lycia,
Caria, Pontica Prima (Bithynia), Galatia,
Cappadocia Prima,
Helenopontus, Cilicia Prima, Cyprus, Syria Prima, Phoenice, Palaestina Prima,
Arabia, and one whose name is illegible. Following the
reconquest of
North Africa, in 534,
Tripolitania was given a
consularis, while Numidia was downgraded to a mere
praeses. However, in 535 Emperor
Justinian I (r. 527–565) carried out a wide-ranging administrative reorganization. The provinces of
Palaestina Secunda,
Syria Secunda,
Theodorias,
Osrhoene,
Armenia Secunda,
Armenia Magna,
Cappadocia Secunda,
Rhodope,
Haemimontus and Augustamnica (this is possibly an error) were placed under
consulares, while Epirus Nova, Dacia Mediterranea, Phrygia Pacatiana, Galatia, Syria Prima and Arabia were placed under governors of other ranks. == References ==