De abigeis
(Concerning those who steal cattle.)
1 Ulpianus libro octavo de officio proconsulis. De abigeis puniendis ita divus Hadrianus consilio baeticae rescripsit: ‘abigei cum durissime puniuntur, ad gladium damnari solent. puniuntur autem durissime non ubique, sed ubi frequentius est id genus maleficii: alioquin et in opus et nonnumquam temporarium dantur’. 1Abigei autem proprie hi habentur, qui pecora ex pascuis vel ex armentis subtrahunt et quodammodo depraedantur, et abigendi studium quasi artem exercent, equos de gregibus vel boves de armentis abducentes. ceterum si quis bovem aberrantem vel equos in solitudine relictos abduxerit, non est abigeus, sed fur potius. 2Sed et qui porcam vel capram vel vervicem abduxit, non tam graviter quam qui maiora animalia abigunt, plecti debent. 3Quamquam autem Hadrianus metalli poenam, item operis vel etiam gladii praestituerit, attamen qui honestiore loco nati sunt, non debent ad hanc poenam pertinere, sed aut relegandi erunt aut movendi ordine. sane qui cum gladio abigunt, non inique bestiis obiciuntur. 4Qui pecora, de quorum proprietate faciebat controversiam, abegit, ut Saturninus quidem scribit, ad examinationem civilem remittendus est. sed hoc ita demum probandum est, si non color abigeatus quaesitus est, sed vere putavit sua iustis rationibus ductus.
1 Ulpianus, On the Duties of Proconsul, Book VIII. The Divine Hadrian, at the Council of Bætica, stated in a Rescript relating to cattle-thieves, “When those who drive away cattle are punished most severely, they are ordinarily condemned to the sword.” They are not, however, punished with the greatest severity everywhere, but only in those places where this species of offence is most frequently committed; otherwise, they are sentenced to hard labor in the public works, and sometimes only temporarily. 1Those are properly considered cattle-thieves who remove cattle from pastures, or from droves, and prey upon them, as it were; and they exercise this occupation of stealing cattle as a regular trade when they take horses or cattle from the droves of which they form a part. If, however, anyone should drive away an ox that is lost, or horses which have been left alone, he does not belong to this category, but is merely an ordinary thief. 2He, however, who drives away a sow, a she-goat, or a sheep should not be punished as severely as one who steals larger animals. 3Although Hadrian established the penalty of the mines, or that of labor on the public works, or that of the sword for this offence; still, those who do not belong to the lowest rank of society should not be subjected to this penalty, for they either should be relegated or expelled from their order. Those, however, who drive away cattle, while armed, are not unjustly thrown to wild beasts. 4Anyone who drives away cattle whose ownership is in dispute should be subjected to a civil investigation, as Saturninus says; but this rule ought only to be adopted where no pretext for stealing the cattle is sought, but the accused person, induced by good reasons, actually believed that the cattle belonged to him.
2 Macer libro primo publicorum iudiciorum. Abigeatus crimen publici iudicii non est, quia furtum magis est. sed quia plerumque abigei et ferro utuntur, si deprehendentur, ideo graviter et puniri eorum admissum solet.
2 Macer, Public Prosecutions, Book I. The crime of driving away cattle is not subject to public prosecution, because it is rather to be classed as a theft; but since most offenders of this description go armed, if they are arrested, they are usually more severely punished on this account.
3 Callistratus libro sexto de cognitionibus. Oves pro numero abactarum aut furem aut abigeum faciunt. quidam decem oves gregem esse putaverunt: porcos etiam quinque vel quattuor abactos, equum bovem vel unum abigeatus crimen facere. 1Eum quoque plenius coercendum, qui a stabulo abegit domitum pecus, non a silva nec grege. 2Qui saepius abegerunt, licet semper unum vel alterum pecus subripuerint, tamen abigei sunt. 3Receptores abigeorum qua poena plecti debeant, epistula divi Traiani ita cavetur, ut extra terram Italiam decem annis relegarentur.
3 Callistratus, On Legal Investigations, Book VI. Sheep, in proportion to the number driven away, either render a man a common thief, or an appropriator of cattle. Certain authorities have held that ten sheep constitute a flock, just as four or five hogs, when they are driven away from a drove; but a cattle-thief commits this crime if he steals but one horse or ox. 1He also should be more severely punished who drives away a tame flock from a stable, and not from a forest, or one forming part of a larger flock. 2Those who have often perpetrated this offence, although they may have taken only one or two animals at a time, are nevertheless, classed as cattle thieves. 3Those who harbor offenders of this kind should, according to an Epistle of the Divine Trajan, be punished by being banished from Italy for ten years.