VĪGINTĬSEXVĬRI, twenty-six magistratus minores, among whom were
included the Triumviri Capitales, the Triumviri Monetales, the
Quatuorviri Viarum Curandarum for the city, the two Curatores Viarum
for the roads outside the city, the Decemviri Litibus (_stlitibus_)
Judicandis, and the four praefects who were sent into Campania for
the purpose of administering justice there. Augustus reduced the
number of officers of this college to twenty (_vigintiviri_), as the
two curatores viarum for the roads outside the city and the four
Campanian praefects were abolished. Down to the time of Augustus the
sons of senators had generally sought and obtained a place in the
college of the vigintisexviri, it being the first step towards the
higher offices of the republic; but in A.D. 13 a senatusconsultum
was passed, ordaining that only equites should be eligible to the
college of the vigintiviri. The consequence of this was that the
vigintiviri had no seats in the senate, unless they had held some
other magistracy which conferred this right upon them. The age at
which a person might become a vigintivir appears to have been twenty.