mail: Bill Thayer

Italiano

Help

Up

Home

 p951  Praeda

Article by George Long, M.A., Fellow of Trinity College
on pp951‑952 of

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

PRAEDA signifies moveable things taken by an enemy in war. Such things were either distributed by the Imperator among the soldiers (Liv. II.42, VI.13; Sall. Jug. 68), or sold by the quaestors, and the produce was brought into the Aerarium:—

The difference between Praeda and Manubiae is explained by Gellius (XIII.25) to be this:— Praeda is the things themselves that are taken in war, and Manubiae is "pecunia per quaestorem populi Romani ex praeda vendita contracta": nor can any objection to this explanation be derived from the words of Cicero (de Leg. Agr. II.22). When prisoners were sold, they were said to be sold "sub corona," the true explanation of which expression is probably that given by Gellius (est autem alia, &c. VI.4).º The mode of sale of other things than slaves was at first probably in detail, but afterwards in the lump, that is, the whole praeda might be sold to the highest bidder, or it might be sold in large masses which contained a great number of separate things, in which cases the whole or the mass would pass to the purchaser as a universitas, and he might retail it if he chose. This mode of sale in the lump was called "sectionem venire," and the purchaser was called sector. It  p952 was the practice to set up a spear at such sales, which was afterwards used at all sales of things by a magistratus in the name of the people. [Sectio.]

Corresponding to the acquisition of moveable things in warfare, and their being made private property, is the transfer of Ager publicus, which was acquired in war, to individuals by a Lex Agraria or de coloniis deducendis or by a sale by the quaestors (ager quaestorius). [Postliminium.]

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.