lictores

Lictores were civil servants in ancient Rome who accompanied magistrates. Their primary role was to serve as bodyguards and execute punishments. Each lictor carried a fasces, a bundle of rods tied around an axe, which symbolized the magistrate's power of coercion and capital punishment. The number of lictors varied depending on the rank of the magistrate. Consuls, the highest ranking officials, were attended by twelve lictors. Praetors had six, and dictators were granted twenty-four. In Rome, only citizens who had held a magistracy or had been elected to certain offices could become lictors. Outside of the city of Rome, the fasces were typically carried without the axe, signifying that the magistrate's power was limited to less severe forms of punishment. Lictores preceded their magistrate, clearing the way and enforcing their authority. They were responsible for arresting citizens, escorting them to judgment, and carrying out sentences such as scourging and beheading. The office of lictor was a prestigious one, reflecting the power and status of the magistrates they served.