Editing Praetor (section)

===Imperial===
[[Augustus]] made changes that were designed to reduce the Praetor to being an imperial administrator rather than a magistrate. The electoral body was changed to the Senate, which was now an instrument of imperial ratification. To take a very simplistic view, the establishment of the principate can be seen as the restoration of monarchy under another name. The Emperor therefore assumed the powers once held by the kings, but he used the apparatus of the republic to exercise them. For example, the emperor presided over the highest courts of appeal.

The need for administrators remained just as acute. After several changes, Augustus fixed the number at twelve. Under [[Tiberius]], there were sixteen. As imperial administrators, their duties extended to matters that the republic would have considered ''minima''. Two praetors were appointed by [[Claudius]] for matters relating to ''[[Fideicommissa]]'' ([[Trust law|trusts]]), when the business in that department of the law had become considerable, but [[Titus]] reduced the number to one; and [[Nerva]] added a Praetor for the decision of matters between the ''[[fiscus]]'' ([[treasury]]) and individuals. [[Marcus Aurelius]]<ref>Capitolinus, ''Vita Marci Antonini'' Chapter 10.</ref> appointed a Praetor for matters relating to ''tutela'' ([[Legal guardian|guardianship]]).