Cursus, raccomandazione o capacità personali?

This paper aims to get to know the administrative staff of the offices a cognitionibus and a studiis, which made the legal apparatus of the imperial court. As the other officia palatina, the managers of these two offices formed part of the intimate circle that gathered around the emperor, so they were selected to assist him in the exercise of power. For this reason, here were investigated the principles that were able to guide the decision of the princeps and his friends and relatives. The prosopographical analysis of the leaders a cognitionibus and a studiis has led to recognise the importance of personal relationships in favouring a candidate. Beyond the formal support of the people close to the emperor or of the emperor himself, another important factor was possibly personal character, as is shown in particular by the executives a studiis.