De extraordinariis criminibus
(Concerning the arbitrary punishment of crime.)
1 Paulus libro quinto sententiarum. Sollicitatores alienarum nuptiarum itemque matrimoniorum interpellatores et si effectu sceleris potiri non possunt, propter voluntatem perniciosae libidinis extra ordinem puniuntur. 1Fit iniuria contra bonos mores, veluti si quis fimo corrupto aliquem perfuderit, caeno luto oblinierit, aquas spurcaverit, fistulas lacus quidve aliud ad iniuriam publicam contaminaverit: in quos graviter animadverti solet. 2Qui puero stuprum abducto ab eo vel corrupto comite persuaserit aut mulierem puellamve interpellaverit quidve impudicitiae gratia fecerit, domum praebuerit pretiumve, quo is persuadeat, dederit: perfecto flagitio punitur capite, inperfecto in insulam deportatur: corrupti comites summo supplicio adficiuntur.
1 Paulus, Sentences, Book IV. The seducers of married women, as well as other disturbers of the marital relation, even though they may be unable to consummate their crimes, are punished arbitrarily on account of the tendency of their destructive passions. 1An injury is committed against good morals, for instance, where one person throws manure upon another, or smears him with filth, or mud; or defiles water, canals, or reservoirs; or fouls anything else for the purpose of injuring the public; and upon persons of this kind it is customary to inflict the most condign punishment. 2Anyone who persuades a boy to submit to lewdness, either by leading him aside, or by corrupting his attendant, or anyone who attempts to seduce a woman or a girl, or does anything for the purpose of encouraging her in debauchery either by lending his house, or by paying her money, in order to persuade her, and the crime is accomplished, shall be punished with death, and if it is not accomplished, he shall be deported to some island. Attendants who have been corrupted shall suffer the extreme penalty.
2 Ulpianus libro quarto opinionum. Sub praetextu religionis vel sub specie solvendi voti coetus illicitos nec a veteranis temptari oportet.
2 Ulpianus, Opinions, Book IV. Unlawful assembles must not be attempted, even by veteran soldiers, under the pretext of religion, or that of performing a vow.
3 Idem libro tertio de adulteris. Stellionatus vel expilatae hereditatis iudicia accusationem quidem habent, sed non sunt publica.
3 The Same, On Adultery, Book III. The actions for embezzlement and the exploitation of estates include an accusation, but they are not criminal prosecutions.
4 Marcianus libro primo regularum. Divus Severus et Antoninus rescripserunt eam, quae data opera abegit, a praeside in temporale exilium dandam: indignum enim videri potest impune eam maritum liberis fraudasse.
4 Marcianus, Rules, Book I. The Divine Severus and Antoninus stated in a Rescript that a woman who purposely produces an abortion on herself should be sentenced to temporary exile by the Governor; for it may be considered dishonorable for a woman to deprive her husband of children with impunity.
5 Ulpianus libro quinto de officio proconsulis. In eum, cuius instinctu ad infamandum dominum servus ad statuam confugisse compertus erit, praeter corrupti servi actionem, quae ex edicto perpetuo competit, severe animadvertitur.
5 Ulpianus, On the Duties of Proconsul, Book V. In addition to liability to the action for corrupting a slave, which is authorized by the Perpetual Edict, anyone at whose instigation a slave is proved to have sought sanctuary at the foot of a statue, for the purpose of defaming his master, shall be severely punished.
6 Idem libro octavo de officio proconsulis. Annonam adtemptare et vexare vel maxime dardanarii solent: quorum avaritiae obviam itum est tam mandatis quam constitutionibus. mandatis denique ita cavetur: ‘Praeterea debebis custodire, ne dardanarii ullius mercis sint, ne aut ab his, qui coemptas merces supprimunt, aut a locupletioribus, qui fructus suos aequis pretiis vendere nollent, dum minus uberes proventus exspectant, annona oneretur’. poena autem in hos varie statuitur: nam plerumque, si negotiantes sunt, negotiatione eis tantum interdicitur, interdum et relegari solent, humiliores ad opus publicum dari. 1Onerant annonam etiam staterae adulterinae, de quibus divus Traianus edictum proposuit, quo edicto poenam legis Corneliae in eos statuit, perinde ac si lege testamentaria, quod testamentum falsum scripsisset signasset recitasset, damnatus esset. 2Sed et divus Hadrianus eum, qui falsas mensuras habuit, in insulam relegavit.
6 The Same, On the Duties of Proconsul, Book VIII. Those who are accustomed to embrace every opportunity to increase the price of food are called dardanarii, and provision has been made by the Imperial Decrees and Constitutions for the repression of their avarice. It is provided as follows in the Decrees: “Moreover, you should take care that there are no dardanarii of any kind of goods, and that they do not adopt measures for storing away merchandise which they have purchased; or, that the more wealthy of them may not be unwilling to dispose of their goods at reasonable prices in expectation of an unproductive season, so that the price of food may not be raised.” The punishments imposed upon such persons, however, vary greatly, for generally, if they are merchants, they are only prohibited from engaging in trade, and sometimes they are deported, but those of low rank are condemned to the public works. 1The price of food is also increased by the use of false balances, with reference to which the Divine Trajan promulgated an Edict, by which Edict he renders such persons liable to the penalty of the Cornelian Law; just as if under that section of this law, which has reference to wills, anyone had been condemned for having written, sealed, or published a forged testament. 2The Divine Hadrian also condemned to deportation anyone who had false measures in his possession.
7 Idem libro nono de officio proconsulis. Saccularii, qui vetitas in sacculos artes exercentes partem subducunt, partem subtrahunt, item qui derectarii appellantur, hoc est hi, qui in aliena cenacula se dirigunt furandi animo, plus quam fures puniendi sunt: idcircoque aut ad tempus in opus dantur publicum, aut fustibus castigantur et dimittuntur, aut ad tempus relegantur.
7 The Same, On the Duties of Proconsul, Book IX. Persons who carry bags, and make use of them for forbidden purposes, by purloining or carrying away portions of property, and also those called derectarii, that is to say, such as introduce themselves into apartments with the intention of stealing, should be punished more severely than ordinary thieves, and therefore they are sentenced for a term to the public works, or are scourged and then discharged, or are deported for a certain time.
8 Idem eodem libro. Sunt praeterea crimina, quae ad executionem praesidis pertinent: ut puta si quis instrumenta sua prodita esse dicat: nam huius rei executio praefecto urbis a divis fratribus data est.
8 The Same, In the Same Book. There are, besides, crimes over which the Governor has jurisdiction; as, wherever anyone alleges that documents belonging to him have treacherously been given to another, for the prosecution of this offence was assigned by the Divine Brothers to the Prefect of the City.
9 Idem eodem libro. Sunt quaedam, quae more provinciarum coercitionem solent admittere: ut puta in provincia Arabia σκοπελισμὸν crimen appellant, cuius rei admissum tale est: plerique inimicorum solent praedium inimici σκοπελίζειν, id est lapides ponere indicio futuros, quod, si quis eum agrum coluisset, malo leto periturus esset insidiis eorum, qui scopulos posuissent: quae res tantum timorem habet, ut nemo ad eum agrum accedere audeat crudelitatem timens eorum qui scopelismon fecerunt. hanc rem praesides exequi solent graviter usque ad poenam capitis, quia et ipsa res mortem comminatur.
9 The Same, In the Same Book. There are certain offences which are punished in accordance with the customs of the provinces in which they are committed; as, for instance, in the Province of Arabia a certain crime, designated “the placing of stones,” is known, the nature of which is as follows: The majority of the people are accustomed to set stones in the field of an enemy, which indicate that if anyone cultivates the field, he will suffer death through the snares of those who deposited the stones there. This proceeding causes such fear that no one dares approach the field in apprehension of the cruelty of those who placed the stones on the land. Governors are accustomed to inflict the extreme penalty for the commission of this offence, because it itself threatens death.
10 Idem eodem libro. In Aegypto qui chomata rumpit vel dissolvit (hi sunt aggeres, qui quidem solent aquam Niloticam continere), aeque plectitur extra ordinem: et pro condicione sua et pro admissi mensura quidam opere publico, alii autem metallo plectuntur, et metallo quidem secundum suam dignitatem. si quis arborem sycaminonem exciderit, nam et haec res vindicatur extra ordinem non levi poena, idcirco quod hae arbores colligunt aggeres Niloticos, per quos incrementa Nili dispensantur et coercentur. et deminutiones aeque coercentur: chomata etiam et diacopi, qui in aggeribus fiunt, plecti efficiunt eos, qui [ed. maior id] admiserint.
10 The Same, In the Same Book. In Egypt, anyone who breaks or injures dykes (these are levees which retain the water of the Nile) are also punished in an arbitrary manner, according to their civil condition, and the measure of the offence. Some of them are sentenced to the public works, or to the mines. Anyone, also, who cuts down a sycamore tree, can also be sentenced to the mines, according to his rank, for this offence is also punished arbitrarily, and by a severe penalty, because these trees strengthen the dykes of the Nile by which the inundations of that river are distributed and restrained, and the diminution of its volume arrested. The dykes, as well as the channels cut through them, afford ground for the punishment of those who interfere with their operation.
11 Paulus libro primo sententiarum. In circulatores, qui serpentes circumferunt et proponunt, si cui ob eorum metum damnum datum est, pro modo admissi actio dabitur.
11 Paulus, Sentences, Book I. An action in proportion to the gravity of the offence will be granted against mountebanks who carry around and exhibit serpents, when any damage results through fear of these reptiles.