Notitia dignitatum

Notitia dignitatum is the Latin title, literally meaning note on the offices, of a unique document of the imperial chanceries, the ultimate authority, on the government of the eastern and western Roman empires, down to the provincial level, preserved in a coulour-illuminated 1554 copy.

Contents

For each of both emperors separately, the Notitia enumerates all major 'dignities' (i.e offices) in the his gift, often with their resort and even his exact officium (staff, enumerated except for the apparently lowest other cohortilini).

First this is done for the central government at his court (including a few top level subordinates, especially Pretorian prefects).

Then it is done for the provincial governors, arranged by and preceded by the competent dioceses (under vicars), these agai ordered by pretoian prefecture.

Interspesred among the civilian officices are the 'new' military authoriies, which in time become the mopre imortant ones, the magistri militum at court or preecture level and the military counts and (lower) dukes generaly assigned to one or a few provinces.

Sources and References

• various Latin texts, translations and commentaries (including maps) are listed, and if available on the web are linked from http://members.ozemail.com.au/~igmaier/notitia.htm...

For example, a complete English translation by William FAIRLEY is on the web in the Medieval Sourcebook at [1]

As every translation is a calculated risk, balancing between illegibility for the modern non-expert reader and historical inaccuracy, one does best to look up the Latin original and search further from there

• Westermann Großer Atlas zur Weltgeschichte contains many precise maps
• Pauly-wissowa (German-language encyclopaedia on all classical Antiquity) provides articles and further bibliography on almost every term or name one may want to know more about