noun
definition
An elected official who was responsible for the maintenance of public buildings, regulation of festivals, supervision of markets and the supply of grain and water.
Examples of aediles in a Sentence
She was worshipped almost exclusively by plebeians, and her temple near the Circus Maximus was under the care of the plebeian aediles, one of whose duties was the superintendence of the corn-market.
A decree of the senate ordered that his works should be confiscated and burned by the aediles.
They were originally two in number, called " plebeian " aediles.
But although the curule aediles always ranked higher than the plebeian, their functions gradually approximated and became practically identical.
In 44 Caesar added two patrician aediles, called Cereales, whose special duty was the care of the corn-supply.
The policing of the city had formerly been one of the duties of the aediles, but was now transferred to the praefectus vigilum, appointed by the emperor from the equites.
The gate on the north-east still exists, and bears the inscription of three aediles who erected the gate, the towers and the wall.
Its presidents were the magistrates of the people, usually the consuls and praetors, and, for purposes of jurisdiction, the curule aediles.
It elected these aediles and other lower magistrates of the people.
Its utterances (plebiscite) had the full force of law; it elected the tribunes of the plebs and the plebeian aediles, and it pronounced judgment on the penalties which they proposed.
Next in dignity were the Ilviri aediles, who had charge of the roads and public buildings, the games and the corn-supply, and exercised police control throughout the town.
Indeed many inscriptions speak of IVviri (Quattuorviri) consisting of two I Vviri juri dicundo and two I Vviri aediles; but in the majority of cases the former are regarded as distinct and superior magistrates.
Unlike the urban quaestor, the military quaestor possessed not a criminal but a civil jurisdiction corresponding to that of the aediles at Rome.
The municipal administration here, as elsewhere, was in the hands of two duoviri iure dicundo and two aediles, the supreme body being the city council (decuriones).
At the south end of the forum are three .halls side by side, similar in plan with a common façade-the central one, the curia or council chamber, the others the offices respectively of the duumvirs and aediles, the principal officials of the city; while the greater part of the west side is occupied by two large buildings-a basilica, which is the largest edifice in Pompeii, and the temple of Apollo, which presents its side to the forum, and hence fills up a large portion of the surrounding space.
Lictors were also assigned to private individuals at the celebration of funeral games, and to the aediles at the games provided by them and the theatrical representations under their supervision.
They were taken probably from one or more of the state registers, such as the annals of the pontiffs, or those kept by the aediles in the temple of Ceres.
Under the empire, on the other hand, it had the ordinary magistrates of a colony, the chief being duoviri, charged with the administration of justice, whose place was taken every fifth year by duoviri censoria potestate quinquennales, then quaestores (or financial officials) and then aediles (building officials).
At the south end of the forum are three .halls side by side, similar in plan with a common façade-the central one, the curia or council chamber, the others the offices respectively of the duumvirs and aediles, the principal officials of the city; while the greater part of the west side is occupied by two large buildings-a basilica, which is the largest edifice in Pompeii, and the temple of Apollo, which presents its side to the forum, and hence fills up a large portion of the surrounding space.