Imperial Power and Italian Cities under the Early Roman Empire

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This research analyzes the relations between praefecti alimentorum (imperial officials in charge of the alimentary schemes) and Italian cities to reconsider the governance structure of the Early Roman Empire. The alimentary programs were endowment schemes to provide financial support for children. In Italy, the municipal autonomy were fully enjoyed, because bureaucracy had not sufficiently developed by the second century A.D. But, as alimentary schemes were established at the end of the first century A.D. or the beginning of the second century A.D., praefecti alimentorum were dispatched. It seems that, to supervise the management of the schemes, they came into contact with municipal magistrates who executed the programs. Thus it can be pointed out that the significance of the alimentary schemes lies in the fact that imperial officials, who could inspect the self-administration of the cities, were begun to dispatch.