Lat in Roman law. The name of an ofiicer who, from the time of Augustus, had the superintendence of the city and its police, with jurisdiction extending one hundred miles from the city, and power to decide both civil and crimlnal cases. As he was considered the direct representative of the emperor, much that pre-viously belonged to the prtetor urbanus fell gradually into his hands. Colq. Rom. Civil Law, ft 2395
Source: Black’s Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)
