Seat councilor
The curule aediles arose during the Roman Republic, initially to organize some celebrations. It was a position to which the patricians and the plebeians could choose, born in the image of the plebeian aediles. Among other tasks, he was in charge of organizing the games (ludi), monitoring weights and measures in the markets, and resolving minor disputes related to trade, always under the supervision of the urban praetor. It was a step in the cursus honorum or political career.
They were appointed by the tribune elections. Plutarch explains the election of the aediles and points out that the curule aediles take their name from the curule chairs:
- After the tribunate he came to ask for the greater edility, because there are two orders of ediles: the one, who takes the name of the chairs with corvo feet in which these magistrates sit to dispatch, and the other, lower, which is called plebeyo. First, the people of greater dignity are named, and then the others are voted.
Among the different characteristics and benefits granted to the ediles are numerous powers and attributions. The curule aediles had various privileges, such as being able to sit on the sella curulis, or wearing the toga praetexta. They also had the ius imaginum or right to keep the statues of their illustrious ancestors at home. They exclusively had the ius edicendi, that is, the right to issue edicts (edicta).
Nevertheless, the differences between seats and non-seats were narrowing and, if it is already difficult to distinguish between the functions of councilors and those of other magistrates, it is even more complicated to distinguish between those of the plebeian aediles and the seats. In any case, there is evidence that there were games and festivities specifically associated with a type of mayor. For example, the Plebeian Games (ludi plebeii) were administered exclusively by the plebeian aediles while the ludi magni, ludi scenici and ludi megalanses for the seats.
Initially, the magistracy was held alternately by patricians and plebeians; later the designation was independent of the class; in 541 ab urbe condita reverted to its alternative designation (patricians in odd years and plebeians in even years). Later they assumed police, health, moral, supply, market, price, quality, and game organization functions.
Aediles were highly neglected during the Empire, as was the case with many other positions originating in the Republic. Thus, Augusto would strip them of various attributions, assigning several of their tasks to magistrates of lesser rank but specialized in said tasks. However, this emperor would give the seats new missions, such as putting out fires, for which he endowed them with an army of 600 slaves. Not much later that mission would be entrusted to the praefectus vigilum. the position of aedile was definitively extinguished in the 3rd century.