Notitia Dignitatum

The Notitia Dignitatum is a unique document of the Roman imperial chanceries. One of the very few surviving documents of Roman government, it details the administrative organisation of the eastern and western empires from the imperial court down to the provincial level. It is usually considered to be up to date for the Western empire at about 420 AD, and for the Eastern empire at around 400. However, no absolute date can be given, and there are omissions and problems.

Related Topics:
Empire - Western empire - 420 - Eastern empire - 400

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The Notitia derives its name from the description at the beginning of the manuscripts: "Notitia dignitatum omnium tam civilium quam militarium utriusque imperii occidentis orientisque. hoc documentum rationem reddit de structura et administratione imperii Romani aetate Theodosiana. ultima redactio notitiae dignitatum a primis decenniis saeculi quinti provenit." ("Listing of the officers, both civil and military, of both empires, western and eastern. this document presents the structure and the administration of the Roman Empire during the Theodosian age. the last edition of the notitia dignitatum comes from the first decad of the fifth century").

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There are several extant 14th and 15th century copies (plus a colour-illuminated 1542 version). All derive from a lost manuscript that brought together several previous documents of which one was of the 9th century.

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