Curiales - Curiales (English spelling) Latin

City councilors in the late Roman Empire. Formerly called decuriones. City councilors were considered an honorable position in the early imperial era as influential people in the city, and they willingly spent their own money to beautify their home cities and improve public facilities, contributing to the prosperity of the empire. However, as they were burdened with various national burdens, wealthy people gradually became reluctant to become city councilors. In particular, they were responsible for collecting taxes on the city's territory and were forced to make up for unpaid taxes with their own property, which led to economic decline and even led many to flee the city unable to bear the burden. After Emperor Diocletian and Emperor Constantine, the status of city councilor was made hereditary, and laws were issued one after another to prevent councilors from fleeing and to pursue those who had fled. If a city councilor abandoned his city, he had to fulfill the duties of a city councilor in both the city he abandoned and the new city as a punishment.

Canonship was not tied to a person but to his estate, which was inherited along with it, and when there were not enough canons, they could be appointed compulsorily, and eventually canonization even became a form of punishment.

[Masatoshi Ichikawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

後期ローマ帝国の都市参事会員。古くはデクリオネスとよばれた。都市参事会員は、都市の有力者として帝政初期には名誉ある地位とみなされ、進んで私費をはたいて故郷の都市の美化と公共施設の整備に努め、帝国の繁栄を担った。しかし、さまざまな国家的負担を負わされるようになり、しだいに有産者は都市参事会員になることを嫌がるようになった。とくに、都市領域の徴税責任を負わされ、未収税額を自己の財産で埋め合わせることを強いられたので、経済的に衰退の途をたどり、重荷に耐えかねて都市を逃げ出す者さえ続出した。ディオクレティアヌス帝、コンスタンティヌス帝以後、参事会員身分は世襲とされ、参事会員の逃亡を防ぎ、逃亡者を追及する法律が相次いで出された。参事会員が自己の都市を捨てた場合、罰として、捨てた都市と新しい都市との両方で都市参事会員の義務を果たさねばならなかった。

　参事会員の義務は、個人にではなくその財産に結び付けられ、財産とともに相続された。参事会員が不足する場合には強制的に指名された。そしてついには、参事会員とされることは一つの刑罰とさえなっていた。

［市川雅俊］

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