Comes was the title given to a high-ranking military or administrative figure in the Late Roman Empire. As the court developed in size and in influence, the emperors established a casual practice of appointing loyal servants to various posts. This process had already been utilized elsewhere, as with the Prefect of the Praetorian Guard and the Amici Principis . As the imperial system expanded, however, new offices were needed and decentralization demanded change. The result was the creation of the rank of "comes" or count.
The comites (counts) became the leading officials of the Roman Empire. They wielded posts of every description, from the army to the civil service, while never surrendering their direct links and access to the emperors. Constantine took the final step of certifying the posts so that they were permanent fixtures of imperial government. The following is a list of the various types of comes:
| Comes Africae -- Count in charge of the defense of Roman Africa.
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| Comes Avernorum -- Count in charge of the defense of part of Gaul (Gallia).
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| Comes Britanniarum -- Count in charge of defense of Roman Britain (Britannia). This post presumably died out circa 410 A.D., when the last Romans in the isles sailed away forever.
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| Comes dispositonum -- A deputy to the very powerful Magister Officiorum (master of offices); responsible for organizing the imperial calendar and preparing the correspondence for distribution to the proper offices for transcription.
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| Comes domesticorum -- Head of the Domestici , the imperial bodyguards of the emperor who were stationed in the palace. This count controlled both the horse and foot units.
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| Comes Hispaniarum -- Count in charge of the defense of Roman Spain (Hispania).
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| Comes Orientis -- Actually as a member of the Vicarii , this count had control over the large diocese of Oriens .
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| Comes privatae largitionis -- Count in charge of the privy purse, answerable and subordinate to the comes rerum privatarum.
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| Comes rerum privatarum -- Powerful imperial officer responsible for the private estates or holdings of the emperor and his family (res privata ). The count maintained the properties and collected all monies from rent, of which most went to the public funds and some to the privy purse administered by the comes privatae largitionis.
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| Comes sacrarum largitionum -- Master of the Sacred Largess, this count operated the imperial finances. He controlled all of the mints, collected senatorial taxes, custom duties and some land taxes. He was also responsible for the yields of the mines. The count provided budgets for the civil service and armies and supplied all uniforms.
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| Comes sacrae vestis -- Count in charge of the wardrobe of the emperor. See also praepositus sacri cubiculi .
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See also
