ABSTRACT
In the bureaucratic state of the late Roman Empire, imperial officials exercised practically all traditional powers and functions relating to the administration of justice. Most officials had little or no legal training, and therefore were often assisted by legal assessors (adsessores) who had received legal education and had usually belonged to the legal profession.1 Moreover, it was quite common for senior officials to perform their judicial functions through delegates (iudices dati or pedanei); the latter were usually low-ranking officers and their decisions could be appealed against before the officials who appointed them. In general, the system of appeals corresponded directly to the hierarchical structure that was observed with regard to the administrative tasks performed by the various state officials.
