BENEFICIARIUS, in Roman Antiquity, those who were promoted on account of their merits, or exempted by special favour from ordinary military service. The term was likewise applied to such as were discharged from the military service, and provided with beneficia or pensions. They were
sometimes called upon to do military service as volunteers, when they were denominated evocati. Before their recall they were styled emeriti.
The word beneficiarius frequently occurs in the Roman inscriptions found in Britain, where consulis is always joined with it; but besides beneficiarius consulis, we find in Gruter beneficiarius tribuni, pratorii, legati, praefecti, proconsulis, and such like expressions.