The aediles (optional, 6 per year) had responsibility for markets, the civic infrastructure, and also for many of the games and festivals. Praetors (c.12 per year) were the magistrates in charge of the law courts, holding the primary role of judges with oversight of the law. The consuls (2, but several pairs during the year) continued to be the senior officials in Rome and the year was dated by the names of the first two consuls in office that year (e.g. inscription 28). The Senate (c.600) was the main deliberative body, electing the magistrates and passing laws under the Emperors. Depending upon the individual Emperor, the senate and magistrates had a greater or lesser degree of independence, and the Emperor frequently gave individuals preferential treatment, bypassing the cursus.
Outside Rome, provinces were divided between those directly under the Emperor's control, governed by propraetors; and those under the Senate’s control, governed by proconsuls (e.g. inscription 9). In reality the Emperor had the ability to intervene anywhere. Financial affairs in the provinces were managed by quaestors and imperial procurators (e.g. inscription 14). The Emperor also appointed curatores rei publicae (e.g. inscription 14) to deal with specific financial issues in the provinces.
In the individual cities (coloniae and municipia), the main authority lay in the local senate, the decuriones (e.g. inscriptions 14 and 15b), a group of men who held office for life. This was supported by a simplified set of annually elected magistrates, the quaestors (financial officers), aediles (civic infrastructure) and the senior officials, the duumvirs (e.g. inscription 11a).
