Legal Definitions - ab epistolis

The term ab epistolis refers to a historical position for an individual whose primary responsibility was to manage and draft official correspondence on behalf of a high-ranking person or institution. Essentially, it describes a secretary or clerk dedicated to handling written communications.

Here are some examples illustrating the application of this term:

• Imagine a powerful Roman senator in the 1st century BCE, deeply involved in political affairs and military campaigns. This senator would employ a highly educated and trusted assistant whose sole duty was to manage all incoming and outgoing letters, official decrees, and diplomatic messages. This assistant would draft responses, maintain archives of correspondence, and ensure the senator's written communications were clear and properly dispatched.

  This assistant would be acting as the senator's ab epistolis, serving as the central point for all official written communication, much like a modern-day executive secretary handling all correspondence for a CEO.

• Consider a medieval monarch in the 12th century, ruling a vast kingdom. The monarch would have a dedicated scribe or clerk responsible for composing royal charters, writing letters to other rulers, issuing commands to local lords, and responding to petitions from subjects. This individual would need to be literate, skilled in rhetoric, and knowledgeable about court protocols to accurately convey the monarch's will and policies in writing.

  This scribe or clerk, managing the monarch's extensive official correspondence, would fulfill the role of an ab epistolis, ensuring the smooth flow of written governance.

• In a prominent 16th-century European university, the Rector (the chief administrative officer) would have a scholarly assistant tasked with handling all official letters to other academic institutions, government officials, and wealthy patrons. This assistant would draft invitations for visiting scholars, compose official reports, and manage the university's external communications regarding academic matters and institutional funding.

  This scholarly assistant, dedicated to the Rector's written communications, would be performing the duties of an ab epistolis, ensuring the university's official voice was accurately and professionally represented.