The same Augustus to John, Praetorian Prefect. We decree, in the curatorships of minors (juniores), whether they be of the first or of the second age, or of certain others to whom the law gives curators, that if the means of the minors are only up to five hundred gold pieces, they should not wait for the appointment by the governors of the provinces, nor be subjected to very great expenses — the governors perhaps not even residing in those cities in which it happens that provision must be made for the curatorship — but that the appointments of curators or guardians be made before the ecdicus [defender] of that city, or the strategus [municipal magistrate], or, in the city of Alexandria, before its juridicus, together with its most religious bishop, or also other public persons, if the city has an abundance of these;
a surety being given according to the measure of the means, in accordance with the judgement of the said persons; and all the other things proceeding which are customary concerning the surety of guardians or curators and according to the measure of the means; only the change of the persons through whom these things are done being introduced by the present enactment for the benefit of the minors; all these things, namely, to be accomplished under the giving of only two coins (numismata, that is, solidi), especially since this constitution has been laid down chiefly for this reason — a penalty being imminent if anyone shall have dared to receive more, or shall have deferred to establish the guardianship or curatorship in hope of greater gain;
and that one being bound not only to repay threefold whatever he received, but also to be removed from the very care and administration. But when the appointments of guardians or curators have been made — in the presence also of the most religious bishop of the city — we decree that the proceedings be deposited in the very archives of the most holy church, that there may be a perpetual record of the matter, and that the security obtained from the curatorship may not perish through chance accidents. As for the guardianships or curatorships which are made in this great city, they are to be performed before the most illustrious praetor alone, as has already been decreed. Given on the 5th day before the Kalends of August, at Constantinople, after the consulship of Lampadius.