Editing Roman censor (section)

====Overseeing public works====
In one important department, the public works, the censors were entrusted with the expenditure of the public money (though the actual payments were no doubt made by the quaestors).

The censors had the general superintendence of all the public buildings and works (''opera publica''), and to meet the expenses connected with this part of their duties, the Senate voted them a certain sum of money or certain revenues, to which they were restricted, but which they might at the same time employ according to their discretion.<ref>[[Polybius]] vi.13; Livy xl.46, xliv.16.</ref> They had to see that the temples and all other public buildings were in a good state of repair,<ref>''[[Aedes (Roman religion)|aedes]] sacras tueri'' and ''sarta tecta exigere'', Livy xxiv.18, xxix.37, xlii.3, xlv.15.</ref> that no public places were encroached upon by the occupation of private persons,<ref>''loca tueri'', Livy xlii.3, xliii.16.</ref> and that the [[Aqueduct (Roman)|aqueducts]], [[Roman road|roads]], drains, etc. were properly attended to.

The repairs of the public works and the keeping of them in proper condition were let out by the censors by [[public auction]] to the lowest bidder, just as the ''vectigalia'' were let out to the highest bidder. These expenses were called ''[[ultrotributa]]'', and hence we frequently find ''vectigalia'' and ''ultrotributa'' contrasted with one another.<ref>Livy xxxix.44, xliii.16.</ref> The persons who undertook the contract were called ''conductores'', ''mancipes'', ''redemptores'', ''susceptores'', etc., and the duties they had to discharge were specified in the [[Leges Censoriae]]. The censors had also to superintend the expenses connected with the worship of the gods, even for instance the feeding of the sacred geese in the Capitol; these various tasks were also let out on contract.<ref>Plutarch ''[[Roman Questions]]'' 98; Pliny ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]'' x.22; Cicero ''[[pro Sexto Roscio Amerino Oratio]]'' 20.</ref> It was ordinary for censors to expend large amounts of money (“by far the largest and most extensive” of the state)<ref>Polybius 6.13.3</ref> in their public works.

[[File:Musei vaticani, braccio chiaramonti, busto 02.JPG|thumb|left|upright|[[Appius Claudius Caecus]], one of the most influential censors]]
Besides keeping existing public buildings and facilities in a proper state of repair, the censors were also in charge of constructing new ones, either for ornament or utility, both in Rome and in other parts of Italy, such as temples, [[basilica]]e, [[Roman theatre (structure)|theatres]], [[portico]]es, [[Forum (Roman)|fora]], [[Aqueduct (Roman)|aqueducts]], [[Defensive wall|town walls]], harbours, bridges, cloacae, roads, etc. These works were either performed by them jointly, or they divided between them the money, which had been granted to them by the Senate.<ref>Liv. xl.51, xliv.16.</ref> They were let out to contractors, like the other works mentioned above, and when they were completed, the censors had to see that the work was performed in accordance with the contract: this was called ''opus probare'' or ''in acceptum referre''.<ref>Cicero ''In Verrem'' i.57; Livy iv.22, xlv.15; Lex Puteol. p73, Spang.</ref>

The first ever Roman road, the [[Via Appia]], and the first Roman aqueduct, the [[Aqua Appia]], were all constructed under the censorship of [[Appius Claudius Caecus]], one of the most influential censors.

The [[aedile]]s had likewise a superintendence over the public buildings, and it is not easy to define with accuracy the respective duties of the censors and aediles, but it may be remarked in general that the superintendence of the aediles had more of a police character, while that of the censors were more financial in subject matter.