Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
prefect
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quick Facts
Latin:
Praefectus
Plural:
Praefecti
Related Topics:
ancient Rome
prefect
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what youā€™ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

prefect

ancient Roman official
Also known as: praefecti, praefectus
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

prefect, in ancient Rome, any of various high officials or magistrates having different functions.

In the early republic, a prefect of the city (praefectus urbi) was appointed by the consuls to act in the consulsā€™ absence from Rome. The position lost much of its importance temporarily after the mid-4th century bc, when the consuls began to appoint praetors to act in the consulsā€™ absence. The office of prefect was given new life by the emperor Augustus and continued in existence until late in the empire. Augustus appointed a prefect of the city, two praetorian prefects (praefectus praetorio), a prefect of the fire brigade, and a prefect of the grain supply. The prefect of the city was responsible for maintaining law and order within Rome and acquired full criminal jurisdiction in the region within 100 miles (160 km) of the city. Under the later empire he was in charge of Romeā€™s entire city government. Two praetorian prefects were appointed by Augustus in 2 bc to command the praetorian guard; the post was thereafter usually confined to a single person. The praetorian prefect, being responsible for the emperorā€™s safety, rapidly acquired great power. Many became virtual prime ministers to the emperor, Sejanus being the prime example of this. Two others, Macrinus and Philip the Arabian, seized the throne for themselves.

By ad 300 the praetorian prefects virtually directed the civil administration of the empire. They executed judicial powers as delegates of the emperor, organized tax levies, and supervised provincial governors. They also commanded troops and served as quartermasters general to the emperorā€™s court. Under the emperor Constantine I the Great (reigned 312ā€“337), the praetorian prefects were stripped of their military commands, but they retained their judicial and financial functions and remained the highest officers of the empire.