Page:The age of Justinian and Theodora (Volume 1).djvu/187

 of the public service, effected the transmission by means of the beasts of burden kept at the mansions of the Posts; by sea the navicularii performed the same task. The latter formed a corporation of considerable importance to which they were addicted as the decurions were to the Curia. Selected from the seafaring population who possessed ships of sufficient tonnage, their vessels were chartered for the conveyance of the canon of provisions as a permanent and compulsory duty. Money payments, in coin or ingots, went to the capital; provisions to the public granaries of Con-*