Constitution of The Late Roman Empire - Administration of The Empire - The Imperial Court

The Imperial Court

The central government of the Roman Empire consisted of the Imperial Court. At the top of the central government was the Emperor himself. From his presence all imperial authority flowed, both civil and military. The edicts of the Emperor were binding upon all persons throughout the Empire. To support the Emperor in the administration of the Empire, the Emperor was attended by numerous Court officials ("comes" or "counts").

Chief among these court officials was the Imperial Chancellor ("magister officiorum"). Created by Constantine the Great in 320 AD, the Chancellor functioned as the head of government for the Empire. Ranked as a Count of the Empire, the Chancellor oversaw the entire civil service. The Chancellor's portfolio include a significant number of functions handled by modern government officials. The Chancellor was responsible for conducting court ceremonies and regulated audiences with the Emperor. All correspondences with foreign powers were sent by and embassies of foreign powers to the Emperor were received by the Chancellor. The Chancellor commanded the Imperial Intelligence Service ("Agentes in rebus"), who handled communications between the Emperor and provincial governments as well as gathering intelligence as the Emperor's secret police force. The Chancellors also oversaw the Imperial Transportation Service ("Cursus publicus"), a series of forts and stations spread along the major road systems connecting the regions of the Roman world. These forts and stations ("mansiones") served as relay points and provided horses to dispatch riders (usually soldiers) and vehicles for Court officials as well as dining and resting quarters. The Imperial Guard corps ("Scholae Palatinae") was under the Chancellor's command, as well as the various imperial arsenals located throughout the Empire.

The Chancellor had direct control over the Imperial Chancellory, the central administrative organ of the Empire which coordinated the civilian functions of the Empire and provided direct support to the Emperor. The Imperial Chancellory was divided into four bureaus (the "sacra scrinia"): the Clerical Bureau ("scrinium memoriae"), the Correspondence Bureau ("scrinium epistularum"), the Legal Bureau ("scrinium libellorum"), and the Arrangement Bureau ("scrinium dispositionum"). Each of these bureaus supported a Bureau Director ("magistri scriniorum") who reported to the Chancellor.

• The Clerical Bureau drafted official documents for the Emperor's approval, such as imperial decrees and appointments, and served as the central Imperial Archive
• The Correspondence Bureau received and responded to correspondence from public officials to the Emperor, managed representation with foreign powers, and served as the imperial translation service
• The Legal Bureau handled the various legal petitions the Emperor received, such as appeals from lower courts
• The Arrangement Bureau oversaw the administrative matters the Emperor faced while traveling

The Judge of the Imperial Court ("Quaestor sacri palatii") was the Empire's top legal official and was responsible for the administration of the justice throughout the Empire. Selected from those with significant legal training, the Judge served as the Emperor's chief legal advisor and was responsible for overseeing the enactment of legislation and for drafting imperial decrees. Beginning in early 5th century, he presided over the Empire's supreme tribunal, which heard appeals from the various lower courts of the Empire.

One of the highest ranking court official was the Imperial Chamberlain ("Praepositus sacri cubiculi"). The Chamberlain, usually a eunuch, managed the daily operations of the Imperial Palace. He oversaw the palace servants ("cubicularii"), also eunuchs, and was responsible for the imperial bedchamber, wardrobe and receptions. While the Chamberlain technically possessed no administrative authority outside of managing the imperial household, his daily and intimate contact with the Emperor granted him great influence over other Court officials, allowing him de facto coordinating authority over all Court officials. In the case of weak Emperors, the Chamberlain's influence made him the most powerful man in the Empire. However, should the Emperor be a powerful force, the Chamberlain's role in the administration of the Empire was minimal.

The administration of finances was a chief duty of the Imperial Court. Two officials within the Court were concerned with financial affairs. The Count of the Imperial Treasury ("Comes sacrarum largitionum") was the Empire's chief financial officer, serving in a role akin to a modern minister of finance. The Count oversaw the collection and distribution of Imperial taxes, managing the Imperial Treasury, and controlled Imperial mints, state-run mills and textile factories, and state-run mining facilities. The Count also exercised judicial functions as they related to taxation matters, with no appeal of his decision. The other key financial officer was the Count of the Imperial Estates ("Comes rerum privatarum") who administered the private property of the Emperor and managed all Imperial estates, including the collection of rent derived therefrom.