Editing Cursus honorum (section)

== ''Princeps senatus'' ==
{{Main|Princeps senatus}}
Another office not officially a step in the ''cursus honorum'' was the ''princeps senatus'', an extremely prestigious office for a patrician. The ''princeps senatus'' served as the leader of the Senate and was chosen to serve a five-year term by each pair of Censors every five years. Censors could, however, confirm a ''princeps senatus'' for a period of another five years. The ''princeps senatus'' was chosen from all Patricians who had served as a Consul, with former Censors usually holding the office.  The office originally granted the holder the ability to speak first at session on the topic presented by the presiding magistrate, but eventually gained the power to open and close the senate sessions, decide the agenda, decide where the session should take place, impose order and other rules of the session, meet in the name of the senate with embassies of foreign countries, and write in the name of the senate letters and dispatches. This office, like the Tribune, did not own ''imperium'', was not escorted by lictors, and could not wear the ''toga praetexta''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=princeps senatus|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100345995|access-date=2021-10-24|website=Oxford Reference|language=en}}</ref>