mail: Bill Thayer

Italiano

Help

Up

Home

 p704  Liber

Article by George Long, M.A., Fellow of Trinity College
on p704 of

William Smith, D.C.L., LL.D.:
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875.

LIBER, LIBERTAS. The Roman writers divide all men into Liberi and Servi [Servus]; and men were either born Liberi, in which case they were called by the Romans Ingenui [Ingenui], or they became Liberi after being Servi, in which case they were called Libertini [Libertus]. Libertus is defined in the Institutes of Justinian (1 tit. 1), to be "the natural faculty to do that which a man pleases, except he be in any thing hindered by force or law." According to the Romans considered Libertas as the natural state or condition of men [Servus]. A man might either be born a slave, or he might become a slave by loss of freedom. Libertas was the first essential of the three which determined status or condition; the other two were Civitas and Familia. Without Libertas there could be no status. Civitas implied Libertas; but Libertas did not necessarily imply Civitas, for a man might be Liber without being Civis. [Civis.] Familia implies both Libertas and Civitas, and he only who is Civis has Familia [Familia]. Thus, Familia necessarily includes Civitas, but Civitas does not necessarily include Familia in one sense; for familia may be changed, while libertas and civitas remain (cum et libertas et civitas retinetur, familia tantum mutatur minimam esse capitis diminutionem constat: Dig. 4 tit. 5 s11). But Civitas so far necessarily implied Familia, that no Civis Romanus was permanently without Familia.

Images with borders lead to more information. The thicker the border, the more information. (Details here.)
UP TO:		Smith's Dictionary: Law Articles	Smith's Dictionary	LacusCurtius	Home
A page or image on this site is in the public domain ONLY if its URL has a total of one *asterisk. If the URL has two **asterisks, the item is copyright someone else, and used by permission or fair use. If the URL has none the item is © Bill Thayer. See my copyright page for details and contact information.