Publican

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Modern usage

In modern parlance, a publican is a manager of a pub or bar. In the United Kingdom the word publican can also refer to a landlord.

Ancient usage

In antiquity, publicans (Latin publicanus) were public contractors, in which role they often supplied the Roman military, managed the collection of port duties, and oversaw public building projects. In addition, they served as tax collectors for the Republic (and later the Empire), bidding on contracts (from the Senate in Rome) for the collection of various types of taxes. Importantly, this role as tax collectors wasn't emphasized until late into the history of the Republic (c. 1st century BC). By New Testament times, publicans were seen chiefly as tax collectors by provincial peoples. However, their role as public contractors, especially as regards building projects, was still significant. Nevertheless, with the rise of a much larger Imperial bureaucracy, this task of the publicans, as well as their overall importance, both declined precipitately. Evidence for the existence of publicans extends as far back as the 3rd century BC, although it is generally assumed that they existed at still earlier times in Roman history. Knowledge of a tentative terminus post quem is taken from the histories of the 1st century AD Imperial historian Livy.

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