What term describes the role of a tax collector in Roman times?

The term that describes the role of a tax collector in Roman times is "publicanus." In ancient Rome, publicani were private individuals or companies who contracted with the government to collect taxes on behalf of the Roman state. They typically bid for the right to collect taxes in a specific area, and in return, they could keep any amount they collected above what was owed to the state. This system often led to abuses, as publicani sometimes extracted more than the legal tax rate from citizens to increase their profits, which contributed to the negative perception of them among the general population.

The other terms provided relate to different aspects of Roman life: "carnifex" refers to an executioner or torturer; "cursus honorum" denotes the regular course of official offices held by ambitious Roman politicians; and "novus homo" means a "new man," referring to someone who is the first in their family to enter the political elite of Rome. These distinctions highlight the specific role and function of the publicanus in the economic system of the Roman Empire.