office Copy link Outline I. Special dutyII. An official position or function1. măgistrātus, ūs2. pŏtestas (of a magistratus3. mūnus, ĕris, n. (includes any task or function)4. expr. by praepōno, praefĭcio (to appoint to an o.); praesum (to hold an o.); with dat. of that over which management is exercisedIII. Act of kindness or goodwillIV. Formulary of devotionV. Place where business is attended to1. perh. tăbŭlārium (record-office2. perh. *scrīniārium (formed like tabularium, etc.3. in commercial sense, best expr. by mensa (counter • office: I. Special duty: offĭcium, mūnus, partes (cf. Caes. B. C. 3, 51, aliae enim sunt legati partes, aliae imperatoris); or expr. by gen. after verb to be; or neut. of poss. pron., meum es, etc.: v. duty. II. An official position or function: 1. măgistrātus, ūs: to enter upon o., m. inire, Cic. Ph. 3, 1, 2; ingredi, Sall. Jug. 43: to remain in o., in m. manere, Liv. 5, 11, med.: to exercise the h ghest o., summum m. exercere, ib. 7, 33. (Concerning the high offices to which this term applies, v. Dict. Ant. s. v.) 2. pŏtestas (of a magistratus: to be carefully distinguished from potentia, unconstitutional power): the praetorian o., p. praetoria, Cic. Man. 24, 69: the tribunician o., tribunicia p., Sall. Cat. 38, init.: comp. Lex in Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 9, imperia, potestates, legationes, i. e. military and civil o.s and embassies. 3. mūnus, ĕris, n. (includes any task or function): to have enjoyed all the honours and os of state, honoribus et reipublicae muneribus perfunctum esse, Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199: to sustain the consular o. (though not actually consul), consulare m. sustinere, Cic. Fam. 10, 12, med.: you have fulfilled your o. well, laute m. administrasti tuum, Ter. Ad. 5, 1, 2: to fulfil a public o. undertaken, susceptum reipublicae m. explere, Cic. prov. Cons. 14, fin.: instead of munera, may be used as pl. mūnia, but only in nom. and acc.: he proceeded to discharge the o.s of empire, munia Imperii obibat, Tac. H. 1, 77, init.: to sustain (the burden of) so important o.s, tanta munia sustinere, Cic. Sext. 66, 138. (But in Cic. at least, munus does not appear to be used in technical sense: v. duty). 4. expr. by praepōno, praefĭcio (to appoint to an o.); praesum (to hold an o.); with dat. of that over which management is exercised: holding the o. of chamberlain, praepositus cubiculo, Suet. Dom. 16: to appoint any one to the o. of finance minister, aliquem vectigalibus praeponere, Tac. A. 15, 18: to appoint to the o. of commander, imperatorem bello praeficere, Cic. Man. 16, fin.: holding the o. of censor of morals, praefectus moribus, id. Clu. 46, 129 (but praefectus is perh. oftener subs., and takes gen.; so, praefectus praetorii or praetorio, etc.: v. Lat. Dict. s. v.): to hold the o. of governor of a province, praeesse provinciae, Sall. Cat. 42; also, in provincia, Cic. Verr. 3, 77, 180. Phr.: you have got a difficult o.! provinciam cepisti duram! Ter. Ph. 1, 2, 22: out of o., *privatus; ab omni reipublicae administratione remotus (R. and A.) III. Act of kindness or goodwill: offĭcium: to limit friendship to an interchange of good o.s and kindly feelings, amicitiam paribus o. ac voluntatibus definire, Cic. Am. 16, 58: v. service. IV. Formulary of devotion: *offĭcium: the o. for mass, of. missae, Alcuin. (Quich.): v. Du Cange, s. v. V. Place where business is attended to: 1. perh. tăbŭlārium (record-office: public): Cic. N. D. 3, 30, 74: Liv. Also, tabularia: fr. in Non. 208, 29. Tabulinum (tablinum) is used of a chamber devoted to a similar purpose in private houses: Plin. 35, 2, 2 § 7: Vitr. 2. perh. *scrīniārium (formed like tabularium, etc.: scrinium, under the Empire, denoting an official portfolio or bureau): but only of public offices. 3. in commercial sense, best expr. by mensa (counter: cf. Germ. use of comptoir): to open an o. (for buying and selling), mensam (palam) proponere, Cic. in Pis. 36, 88: a banking o., argentaria (sc. mensa): Liv. 26, 27, init.: Cic. See also shop.