Notitia dignitatum

Otto Seeck (1850-1921) was a student of Theodor Mommsen, to whom he dedicated this, his first major work, published in 1876. Seeck went on to publish extensively on late antiquity; his six-volume history of the decline of the ancient world is still highly regarded. The 'Notitia dignitatum' edited here is an unparalleled source of data about the administrative structure of the later Roman empire, east and west. Originally compiled around 400 CE, it survives in four late medieval copies deriving from a single early medieval manuscript that disappeared in the late sixteenth century. Organised hierarchically, it lists thousands of civilian and military posts, from the officials of the imperial court to governors of individual provinces and commanders of army units. It includes illustrations - also copied from the lost manuscript - of the emblems associated with many key offices, together with the badges of the units serving under particular military commanders.