(_d_) This Minister, the _Comes Rerum Privatarum_, had the
superintendence of the Imperial estates in Italy and the Provinces.
Confiscations and the absorption by the State of the properties of
defaulting tax-payers were probably always tending to increase the
extent of these estates, and to make the office of Count of the Domain
more important. The collection of the land-tax, far the most important
item of the Imperial revenue, was also made subject to his authority.
Finally, in order, as Cassiodorus quaintly observes[114], that his
jurisdiction should not be exercised only over slaves (the cultivators
of the State domains), some authority was given to him within the
City, and by a curious division of labour all charges of incestuous
crime, or of the spoliation of graves, were brought before the
tribunal of the Comes Privatarum.

[Footnote 114: Var. vi. 8.]

Besides the thirteen persons who, as acting Ministers of the highest
class, were entitled to the designation of Illustris, there were also
those whom we may call honorary members of the class: the persons who
had received the dignity of the Patriciate--a dignity which was
frequently bestowed on those who had filled the office of Consul, and
which, unlike the others of which we have been speaking, was held for
life.

It is a question on which I think we need further information, whether
a person who had once filled an Illustrious office lost the right to
be so addressed on vacating it. I am not sure that we have any clear
case in the following collection of an ex-official holding this
courtesy-rank; but it seems probable that such would be the case.