Roman Law and the Legal World of the Romans

glossary

not have to be a jurist to argue cases in court; the more relevant skill there was public speaking. Latin. In legal terms, this is a citizenship status giving some but not all of the rights of true Roman citizens. It comes from differ ent sources at different periods. Legacy. See “heir.” Legis actio . “Action at law.” An early device of civil procedure. To bring a case to court you had to find and use the specific wording relevant to your cause of action. Later replaced by the formula system. Locatio conductio . “Leasing hiring.” The form of contract that governed leasing and hiring – for example, renting a building or hiring a person to perform a job. Magistrate. An elected executive officer of the Roman govern ment. They served one-year terms. There were several posi tions; they were ranked; and at each level there was a panel of officials rather than a single person. Pater familias . “Father of a family.” A male with no living ances tor in the male line. You did not actually have to have any chil dren to be a pater familias . Also the “prudence of a good pater familias ” is the standard of care demanded by the law in situ ations in which you are to take as good care of someone else’s property as your own. Patria potestas . “Fatherly power.” The power of a pater familias over his children (and his sons’ children). See filius familias . Patron. See “freedman.” Peculium . Property controlled by slave or child in potestate , though technically still owned by the owner/father. Property

270