praefectūra, ae (dat. plur. PRAEFECTVREIS, Inscr. Corp. Lat. 206, 83), f. [praefectus], the office of a president or overseer, a presidency, superintendence, prefecture.
I In gen.: villae, Varr. R. R. 1, 17 fin. ; cf. Plaut. Cas. 1, 11 (infra, B. 2. b.): morum, the superintendence of the public morals (a part of the duty of the censor), Suet. Caes. 76: hanc de se praefecturam servo dare, Plin. 28, 5, 14, § 56: equitum Gallorum, the command of the cavalry , Hirt. B. G. 8, 12: alarum, Suet. Aug. 38: urbis, Plin. 7, 14, 12, § 62; Suet. Aug. 37; id. Tib. 42; id. Vesp. 1; Dig. 1, 12, 1 (al. Urbi): praetorio, Aur. Vict. Caes. 9, 11: praefectura domūs Siculā non mitior aulā, Juv. 6, 486.—
II In partic.
A In milit. lang., the office of commander or governor in the provinces , the government of a country or town (which was conferred by the proconsuls and propraetors), a prefectship , prefecture : praefecturas sumere, Cic. Att. 6, 1, 4; cf.: praefecturam petivit: negavi me cuiquam negotianti dare, id. ib. 5, 21, 10: multorum consulum praetorumque praefecturas delatas sic accepit, ut, etc., Nep. Att. 6, 4.—
B The administration of a province : aliquem ad praefecturam Aegypti provehere, Suet. Aug. 66: Aegypti, id. Ner. 47.—Hence,
2 Transf.
a An Italian city governed by Roman authorities (praefecti) and according to their edicts , a prefecture : praefecturae eae appellabantur in Italiā, in quibus et jus dicebatur et nundinae agebantur, et erat quaedam earum res publica, neque tamen magistratus suos habebant, in quas legibus praefecti mittebantur quotannis qui jus dicerent, etc., Fest. p. 233 Müll.; Cic. Sest. 14, 32; id. Pis. 22, 51; id. Phil. 2, 24, 58: Capua in formam praefecturae redacta, Vell. 2, 44, 4; cf. Liv. 26, 16; Inscr. Orell. 3699.—
b The territory of a prefecture , a district , province , government (anteclass. and post-Aug.): quin ruri es in praefecturā tuā? ... abi rus, abi directus tuam in provinciam, Plaut. Cas. 1, 11 and 15: nunc ibo in meam praefecturam, ut jus dicam lardo, id. Capt. 4, 3, 7: Aegyptus dividitur in praefecturas oppidorum, quas nomos vocant, Plin. 5, 9, 9, § 49: proximae praefecturae, Tac. A. 11, 8: praefecturae magis quam imperia, Front. Princ. Hist. med. —
C In the agrimensores, the land allotted to a colony , Sicul. Flacc. Condit. Agr. p. 21 Goes.; Front. Limit. p. 43 ib.; Aggen. ap. Front. p. 56 ib.