of  Alexander  Sererua,  Kren  of  the  fourteen  n


Stv.  33.)  The  actual  taak  of  compiling  then  wu
committed  to  subordinata  officer!,  tailed  achtarii  or
ac^oni,  who  were  aasiated  by  various  clerics,  and
by  reporters  (nofivii),  who  took  down  in  tbort-hand
the  pn)c«ding)  in  tho  courts,  &c  After  tbe  acta
had  been  drawn  up,  they  were  exposed  for  a  lime
in  some  public  place  in  the  city,  where  person
could  md  them  and  take  copies  of  them.  Muiy
scribes,  whom  Cicero  spealca  of  under  the  name
of  Dpemrij,  made  it  tbeir  business  to  ci^y  them
or  make  eitracls  from  them  for  the  use  of  the
wealthy  in  Rome,  and  especially  in  the  proiriDcea,
where  they  were  eagerly  sought  after  and  aVsi-
sirely  read.  (Cic  ad  Fam.  viiL  1,  liiL  S ;  Tac
Ami.  zri.  22.)  After  the  acta  had  been  ex-
posed in  public  for  a  certain  time,  they  were  de-
posited, like  the  Acta  Senatuxr  in  soma  of  the  re-
cord officei,  or  the  public  lihiariea.
The  style  of  the  acta,  aa  appean  from  the  pai-
sagB  in  Pctroniiu,  waa  very  simple  and  concise.
