PUBLICAN I, filth-it-01'4d, the contractors who undertook to levy, in Italy and the pro vinces, the dues let out to them on lease, and to pay a fixed sum annually into the treasury at Rome. They were designated Diva nta'ni, Sc1iparier7i, or Pm-Hares, according as they levied the Dk'zimee (tithes or tax on the pro duce of the earth), from the Arrild'res, the Scripdra (the tax for gracing on the public pasture-lands), from the l'jciarli or Pas rd'res, or the Poraria (custom dues for exports and imports), from the arns. Generally, as the service neces sarily required a large establishment of sub ordinates, warehouses, ships, &c., several Publican' banded together as ajoint-stock company, or Ski'cihrs, each, like the modern companies, under a manceiSs (or chairman), who took the contract, generally for five years, from the Censors, and gave the requi site security, and a So'cilidlis (or manager), who conducted the business at the company's central office at Rome. The eques trian order had such a monopoly of the revenue, that Equites and Publican' became almost convertible terms. Even as early as the second Punic war the Publican' were a body of great importance at Rome, and their in fluence necessarily increased with the exten sion of the Roman dominion and revenue : as a rule, they were detested iu the provinces.
The Tribu'lum, the property-tax on Roman citizens, which was chiefly applied to the as militiere, or military charges, was raised, not by the Publicani, but by special officers, the TribiVeti zerdrii.
PUB LicoLAilsub-tic'-o-la (see VALERIUS, I). PUBLILIUS, z. Q. Pinto, Mir.-e, dictator 339 B.c., abolished the power Of the Comitia Curiata, and practically placed the Plebs on a political equality with the Patricians. 2. VOLERO, vo'-Ii-ro, was tribune of the plebs 472 and 47x B.C., and, by his Publilian laws, ordained the election of the Tribunes of the plebs and the lEdiles by the Corhitia Tribfita instead of Centuriata, and the decrees of the same Comitia (filebiseita) were declared binding on all citizens.
PUBLIUS SI RUS,131S-11-us sic'-us, originally a Syrian slave, sold to a Roman patrician, brought to Rome, and, after being carefully educated, manumitted about 5o B.C., became a writer of mimes. A compilation, from his mimes (low comedies), of moral sentences is extant. He was much esteemed at Rome, and had Julius Cwsar among his patrons.