Praeses (Latin praesides) is a Latin word meaning "placed before" or "at the head".
Roman governors
Praeses began to be used as a generic description for
Roman province Roman governor—often through paraphrases, such as
qui praeest ("he who presides")—already since the early
Principate, but came in general use under the Nerva–Antonine dynasty.
The jurist
Aemilius Macer, who wrote at the time of
Caracalla (reigned 198–217), insists that the term was applied only to the governors who were also
Roman Senate—thereby excluding the
equites procuratores—but, while this may reflect earlier usage, it was certainly no longer the case by the time he wrote.
In the usage of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, the term appears originally to have been used as an honorific, affixed to the formal gubernatorial titles (
legatus Augusti etc.), and even, occasionally, for
Roman legion commanders or fiscal
procuratores. By the mid-3rd century, however,
praeses had become an official term, including for equestrian officials.
The form
procurator vice praesidis had also come into common use for equestrian
procuratores entrusted with the governance of provinces in the absence of, or in lieu of, the regular (senatorial) governor. This marks a decisive step in the assumption of full provincial governorships by equestrians, with the first equestrian
praesides provinciae appearing in the 270s.
This evolution was formalized in the reforms of Diocletian (r. 284–305) and Constantine the Great (r. 306–337), when the term praeses came to designate a specific class of provincial governors, the lowest after the consularis and the . In the East, however, they ranked between the two other classes, possibly because the few correctores there were instituted after the praesides.
Most of the provinces ("Roman diocese") created by Diocletian by splitting the larger older ones were entrusted to such praesides, and they form the most numerous group of governors in the late-4th century Notitia Dignitatum:
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four in the Diocese of Illyricum: Dalmatia, Pannonia Prima, Noricum, Noricum
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seven in Roman Italy: Alpes Cottiae, Raetia and Raetia, Samnium, Valeria, Corsica et Sardinia.
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two in the Diocese of Africa: Mauretania Sitifensis, Tripolitana
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four in Diocese of the Spains (Iberia and opposite African coast): Tarraconensis, Carthaginensis, Insulae Baleares, Mauretania Tingitana
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eleven in the Diocese of the Gauls: Alpes Maritimae, Alpes Poeninae, Maxima Sequanorum, Gallia Aquitania and Gallia Aquitania, Novempopulania, Narbonensis Prima and Secunda, Lugdunensis Secunda, Tertia and Senonica
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three in the Diocese of Britain: Britannia Prima and Secunda, Flavia Caesariensis.
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five in the Diocese of Egypt: Cyrenaica and Marmarica, Thebais, Ægyptus, Arcadia.
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eight in the Diocese of the East: Palaestina Salutaris and Secunda, Phoenice Libanensis, Euphratensis, Syria Salutaris, Osrhoene, Mesopotamia, Cilicia
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seven in the Diocese of Asia: Pisidia, Lycaonia, Phrygia Pacatiana and Phrygia Salutaris, Lycia, Caria, Insulae.
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eight in the Diocese of Pontus: Honorias, Cappadocia Prima and Secunda, Helenopontus, Pontus Polemoniacus, Armenia Prima and Armenia Secunda, Galatia Salutaris.
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four in the Diocese of Thrace: Haemimontus, Rhodope, Moesia, Scythia
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four in the Diocese of Dacia: Dacia Ripensis, Moesia, Praevalitana, Dardania
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four in the Diocese of Macedonia: Thessalia, Epirus Vetus and Epirus Nova, Macedonia Salutaris.
In the East, the staff ( officium) of the praeses (attested for Thebais) comprised the same as that of a consularis, i.e. a princeps officii, cornicularius, commentariensis, adiutor, numerarius, ab actis, a libellis, subadiuva; finally unspecified exceptores and cohortalini (menial staff).[ Notitia Dignitatum, in partibus Orientis, XLIV] In the West (attested for Dalmatia), the officium was again the same as with the consulares and correctores, comprising the princeps officii, cornicularius, two tabularii, commentariensis, adiutor, ab actis, subadiuva, and the usual exceptores and cohortalini.[ Notitia Dignitatum, in partibus Occidentis, XLV]
The status of a praeses could also be awarded as a separate honour, ex praeside, attached to the rank of vir perfectissimus.
German advisors
In German academia a doctoral advisor is called the Doktorvater. However, in the 18th century and before, the doctoral system was quite different. Instead of a Doktorvater as such, the candidate had a
praeses to act as mentor and who would also head the oral
viva voce exam. In the 18th century the
praeses often chose the subject and compiled the theses and the candidate had only to defend. Sometimes there were several candidates at the same time defending the same thesis, in order to save time.
Modern uses
The chair of a
student society in the
Netherlands or
Belgium may be called a praeses; in
Dutch language the official spelling has changed to "
preses" but most student societies still observe the Latin spelling. Various minor offices may be designated by a compound title, e.g.
dooppraeses in charge of
initiation and associated
hazing.
In modern Italian language the word " preside" is still used to indicate the head teacher of a primary or secondary school, generally equivalent to the American principal or the British headmaster positions.
In Norway, the office of archbishop has been abolished. Instead, the Lutheran Church of Norway has a Bishops Conference which is presided over by a praeses.
In Sweden, the chair of academic institutions and disputations, as well as the bishop of Cathedral chapters, is called preses.
The Landeskirche of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland and Evangelical Church of Westphalia, in which the title and function of bishop are unknown, are also chaired by a praeses ().
In other German church bodies, the title usually refers to the president of the synod.
In Indonesia's Batak Christian Protestant Church, which emerged from German evangelization efforts, a praeses chairs over each of the church'
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Roman Catholic religious institutions, especially Franciscan ones, use the term to indicate the presiding officer of a collegial meeting of the order.
The official Scots language title of the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament is Preses o the Scots Pairlament.
The Polish language word prezes, derived from Latin praeses means chairman.
