A praetor was a high-ranking official in the Roman Republic responsible for administering justice and governing provinces. Initially, praetors served primarily as judges, but their roles expanded to include military command and administrative duties. Praetors were second only to consuls in rank and often served as governors of Roman provinces.
During the Republic, the number of praetors increased as Rome’s territories expanded. The praetor urbanus handled judicial cases involving Roman citizens, while the praetor peregrinus dealt with cases involving foreigners.
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