Editing Quaestor (section)

==== Provincial administration ====
[[File:Roman Republic 44 bC.svg|thumb|right|300px|The extent of the Roman Republic and its provinces on the eve of Caesar's assassination in 44&nbsp;BC.]]

Because consuls, praetors, and their promagisterial counterparts were "practically... plenipotentiary agent[s] upon [which all] aspect[s] of government associated with that ''provincia'' depended", the quaestor's responsibilities could vary widely, including not only financial and administrative matters but also sometimes encompassing military command and judicial functions.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=164}} In general, however, the core administrative duty of the quaestor was to "[extract] whatever material assets the Roman military apparatus might need".{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=164}} When quaestors were sometimes assigned to a province alone (without attachment to a superior) in the late republic, quaestorian responsibilities increased dramatically as the only Roman magistrate present.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=164}} At times, quaestors were sent without superiors to peaceful acquisitions to inventory property, auction them if necessary, and transport proceeds to Rome.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=178}}

During normal times under a governor, the quaestor would handle administrative tasks related to supply of the armies. He would oversee the transport of public money assigned by the Senate to the province, record its uses, and use it to pay soldiers' wages or purchase supplies.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=165}} He also helped manage the taxation of the province in terms of collecting food, supplies, and money from local leaders.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|pp=165–66}} In terms of taxation, quaestors also handled the local auction of raw goods to [[public contractor]]s ([[Publican|''publicani'']]) or merchants; at times, they also made requisitions from local provincials on orders of their superior or at times on their own accord.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|pp=166–67}} This remit also extended to minting coinage – usually to pay soldiers serving in the provinces – from precious metal stocks on hand.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=167}}

The provincial quaestor also had to carefully record all the money that fell into the provincial government's hands.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=168}} Other assets acquired by conquest or otherwise classed as war spoils – from gold to grain, arms, and ships – also had to be inventoried, recorded, and deposited in the public treasury at Rome.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=176–77}} Captives captured in war were usually sold into slavery in that province, which was managed by the quaestor for funds also to be noted in the account books.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=177}} They also were expected to register those provincial records in Rome upon conclusion of their terms for review by the urban quaestors, which were supposed to record all movements of funds. Loss of those records could give rise to damaging charges of corruption.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=170–71}} After [[Julius Caesar]]'s ''lex Julia'', these records had to be made in triplicate, with two copies lodged in provincial cities (not always the same cities from governor to governor) and the remaining copy returned to Rome for presentation.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=171}} Then, at least according to custom, both the quaestor and the governor would return to Rome to present the provincial accounts.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=172}} Upon the close of the term, the quaestor would coordinate to divide the remaining money between the incoming provincial administration and the treasury in Rome.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=173}}

These great responsibilities with little immediate oversight gave both provincial quaestors and their governors many opportunities for corruption by misappropriating funds, demanding exorbitant taxes, getting involved in various business schemes, or taking bribes outright.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|pp=174–75}} Quaestors' behaviour did not always comport with their administrative and legal responsibilities.{{sfn|Pina|Díaz|2019|p=175}}