Page "Publican" Paragraph 4

With the rise of a much larger Imperial bureaucracy, this task of the publicans, as well as their overall importance, declined precipitously.

Evidence for the existence of publicans extends as far back as the 3rd century BC, although it is generally assumed that they existed at still earlier times in Roman history.

Knowledge of a tentative terminus post quem is taken from the histories of the 1st century AD Imperial historian Livy.