Clarissimat

The clarissimat is of an initially honorary distinction then hierarchical which appears at the beginning of the Early empire. It is related to the senatorial function and testifies to a hierarchisation growing among the leading classes of the Empire

Birth of the order clarissime

At the beginning of the Early empire the senators the Consul S, Praetor S, powerful orators of the people, municipal official S, Questeur S, of which the magistratures allow the entry the senate, the governors of Praetorian provinces, receive the official title to vir clarissimus . This qualifier precedes, follows or replaces their proper name or the title of their dignity, when the word is addressed to them. Pline the Young person, thus challenges the consuls in the Roman Sénat: I fear, say I, clarissimes consuls… This honorary title evolves/moves can with little to form a hereditary title making it possible to distinguish a new order in the Nobilitas, the clarissimat. Under the Severe , the legal language and the epigraphy shows that this nobility is not only any more personal; it is transmitted to the women, to the children and even to the more distant heirs.

The clarissimes are recruited among the owners of latifundia or the old patricians families. It is associated to them, of the knights anoblis. They occupy the highest magistratures of the Cursus honorum which are more honorary than really source of command. The clarissimat remains a long time the single title of the dignitaries, like senators.

Transformations of late Antiquity

During the late Antiquity, the modes of attributions of the clarissimat evolve/move. Simple governors of province can be clarissimes under Constantin even if the title is rather reserved for the higher magistratures. Constancy, its successor and Valentinien {{Ier}} after him, holds the title of clarissimes to the prefects of the court, large main of the palatine offices and Ministers for Finance. Valentinien 1st creates, into 372, the Note a species of imperial almanac which makes it possible to determine the rows of the principal civils servant between them. It creates the class of famous and spectabiles . This noble made up class prefects, counts and proconsuls is more prestigious than the clarissimat. The senators of Rome and Constantinople which do not occupy of public office make party of the clarissimat.

An edict of year 412 enumerates all the classes of the company in the following order: Famous , Spectabiles , Senatores i.e. senators of Rome and Constantinople, Clarissimi i.e. those which, without being senators, had acquired this title by their functions, Sacerdotales , Principales , Mercatores , Plebeii . It is seen the clarissimes are not more the characters most important of the State. It however keeps a great prestige especially in the provinces. Sidoine Apollinaire defines the two characters clarissime by the birth, sizeable by nomination.

Privileges related to the clarissimat

The senators have great privileges as regards justice. their only judge is the prefect of the city if they live Rome or the suburban provinces or the Préfet of the court, if they reside in province. Due criminal, they incur only the loss of their dignity. The clarissimes as all the Nobilitas profit from important immunities: complete exemption of the contributions except the land tax, the personal services of the citizens of the Municipe S as well as extraordinary loads. The goods of the privileged people, but also their men employed with the exploitation of the goods profit from immunities. The women and the children of the privileged people profit from the same privileges.

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