or QUESTOR, in Roman antiquity, an officer who had the management of the public treasure. The questorship was the first office which any person could hold in the commonwealth, and have a right to sit in the senate. At first there were only two; but afterwards two more were created to take care of the payment of the armies abroad, and to sell the plunder, for which purpose they generally accompanied the consuls in their expeditions. On this account the latter were called *peregrini*, as the former were called *urbanii*. The number of questors was afterwards greatly increased. They had the keeping of the decrees of the senate; and hence came the two offices of *questor principis*, or *augusti*, sometimes called *candidatus principis*, whose office resembled in most respects that of our secretaries of state, and the *questor palatii*, answering in a great measure to our lord-chancellor.