aedile
/ˈiːdʌɪl
/noun Roman History
Either of two (later four) Roman magistrates responsible for public buildings and originally also for the public games and the supply of corn to the city.He spent enormous amounts of money buying influence, including giving public games as aedile that eclipsed anything that had gone before....
- Once again, elections were held for aedile, praetor, quaestor and the other traditional offices of the Republic.
- Normally games were the property of aediles, who spent enormous sums to make sure they would be remembered.
Derivatives
aedileship
- Until the 2nd century BC, the curule aedileships rotated on a yearly basis between patricians and plebeians.
- Mamercus was a very wealthy man, and his refusal of the aedileship was the cause of his defeat for the consulship.
- During the elections for the aedileships a fight broke out and numbers of people were killed.
Origin
Mid 16th century: from Latin aedilis 'concerned with buildings', from aedes 'building'.