Following the example of the senatorial order, the equestrians also acquired titles of honor, which depended upon their official rank. From the time of Hadrian the title _vir eminentissimus_ (most eminent) was the prerogative of the praetorian prefects. Under Marcus Aurelius appear two other equestrian titles, _vir perfectissimus_ and _vir egregius_. In the third century the latter was borne by all the imperial procurators, while the former was reserved for the higher prefectures (apart from the praetorian), the chief officials of the treasury and the imperial secretaries. *Administration of the finances: (I). The Fiscus.* The most important branch of the civil administration was that of the public finances, which merits special consideration. Augustus did not centralize the administration of the provincial revenues which were at his disposal, but created a separate treasury or _fiscus_ for each imperial province. However, he did establish the _aerarium militare_ at Rome for the control of the revenues destined for the pensioning of veteran troops. Furthermore, Augustus drew a sharp distinction between the public revenues which were administered by the princeps in his magisterial capacity, and the income from his own private property or patrimony. For the expenditure of the former he acknowledged a strict accountability to the Senate. The policy of Augustus was followed by Tiberius and Caligula, but under Claudius a central _fiscus_ was organized at Rome for the administration of all the public revenues of the princeps. The provincial _fisci_ disappeared, and the military treasury became a department of the _fiscus_. This new imperial _fiscus_ was under the direction of the _a rationibus_. From this time the princeps ceased to hold himself accountable for the expenditure of the public imperial revenues, and the _fiscus_ assumes an independent position alongside of the old _aerarium_ of the Roman people, which, as we have shown, it ultimately deprived of all share in the control of the public finances. However, the distinction between the public and private revenues of the princeps was still observed, and the _patrimonium_ was independently administered by a special procurator.