mensores
MENSO´RESmeasurers or surveyors. This name was applied to various classes of persons whose occupation was the measurement of things.
1. To land--surveyors who measured and defined the extent of fields, apparently the same as the agrimensores (Colum 5.1, 2; Ov. Met. 1.136; AGRIMENSORES).
2. To military officers, who had a twofold duty, as measurers of the ground for a camp, and measurers of corn for the troops, unless indeed they were two distinct classes of officers. (i.) As measurers of the ground for the camp (Veget. R. Mil. 2.7) they were usually called metatores (Cic. Phil. 11.5, 12; 14.4-Z2, 10). [CASTRAVol. 1. p. 372 b. ] They were a kind of quartermaster-general, and thus provided quarters for the soldiers in the towns through which they passed, and where they made a temporary stay (Cod. Theod. 6, 34, 1; 7, 8, 4.) (ii.) In military inscriptions we find mensor frumenti (Orelli, Inscr. No. 3523), and sometimes simply mensor (Orelli, 3473; Henzen, 6820; Marquardt, Röm. Staatsverw. 2. p. 536; Walter, Gesch. d. Rön. Rechts, § 343).
3. Mensores frumentarii was the name of officers who had to measure the corn which was conveyed up the Tiber for the public granaries (Dig. 27, 1, 26; mensores Portuenses, Cod. Theod. 14, 4, 9; 14, 15, 1). They were stationed in the port of Ostia, and were employed under the praefectus annonae. Their title is mentioned in several ancient inscriptions (Corpus mensorum frumentariorum Ostiensium, Henzen, 7194; mensores frumentarii Cereris Augustae, Orelli, 4190).
4. Mensores aedificiorum, sometimes applied to architects, or more especially to such architects as conducted the erection of public buildings, the plans of which had been drawn up by other architects (Plin. Ep. x, 19 (28), 5; 10.20 (29), 3).
[L.S] [W.S]Persons employed in taking any kind of measurements, such as (1) land-surveyors (see gromatici);
(2) the persons who marked out the various divisions of the camp (see castra);
(3) house-builders (Pliny , Epist. x. 19, 5); and
(4) mensores frumentarii, officials who measured out the corn brought to the public granaries. See frumentarii leges; horreum.