Ad legem Iuliam maiestatis
(On the Julian Law Relating to the Crime of Lese Majesty.)
1 Ulpianus libro septimo de officio proconsulis. Proximum sacrilegio crimen est, quod maiestatis dicitur. 1Maiestatis autem crimen illud est, quod adversus populum Romanum vel adversus securitatem eius committitur. quo tenetur is, cuius opera dolo malo consilium initum erit, quo obsides iniussu principis interciderent: quo armati homines cum telis lapidibusve in urbe sint conveniantve adversus rem publicam, locave occupentur vel templa, quove coetus conventusve fiat hominesve ad seditionem convocentur: cuiusve opera consilio malo consilium initum erit, quo quis magistratus populi Romani quive imperium potestatemve habet occidatur: quove quis contra rem publicam arma ferat: quive hostibus populi Romani nuntium litterasve miserit signumve dederit feceritve dolo malo, quo hostes populi Romani consilio iuventur adversus rem publicam: quive milites sollicitaverit concitaveritve, quo seditio tumultusve adversus rem publicam fiat:
1 Ulpianus, On the Duties of Proconsul, Book VII. The crime of lese majesty may closely resemble that of sacrilege. 1The crime of lese majesty is committed against the Roman people, or against their safety, and he is guilty of it by whose agency measures are maliciously taken for the death of hostages, without the order of the Emperor; or when men armed with weapons or stones appear in the city, or are assembled against the State, and occupy public places or temples; or where assemblies have been called together, or men convoked for sedition; or where, by the malicious aid and advice of anyone, plans have been formed by which the magistrates of the Roman people, or other officials invested with command 6r authority may be killed; or where anyone bears arms against the government, or sends a messenger or letter to the enemies of the Roman people, or communicates to them any password; or commits any act with malicious intent by means of which the enemies of the Roman people may be assisted in their designs against the government; or where anyone solicits or inflames soldiers, in order that a sedition or a tumult may be excited against the State.
2 Idem libro octavo disputationum. quive de provincia, cum ei successum esset, non discessit: aut qui exercitum deseruit vel privatus ad hostes perfugit: quive sciens falsum conscripsit vel recitaverit in tabulis publicis: nam et hoc capite primo lege maiestatis enumeratur.
2 The Same, Disputations, Book VIII. Or when an officer does not depart from a province when his successor arrives; or deserts from the army; or flees to the enemy as a private individual; or who, knowing a statement to be false, inserts it in the public records, or reads it after it has been placed there, for this also is included in the First Section of the Law of lese majesty.
3 Marcianus libro quarto decimo institutionum. Lex duodecim tabularum iubet eum, qui hostem concitaverit quive civem hosti tradiderit, capite puniri. lex autem Iulia maiestatis praecipit eum, qui maiestatem publicam laeserit, teneri: qualis est ille, qui in bellis cesserit aut arcem tenuerit aut castra concesserit. eadem lege tenetur et qui iniussu principis bellum gesserit dilectumve habuerit exercitum comparaverit: quive, cum ei in provincia successum esset, exercitum successori non tradidit: quive imperium exercitumve populi Romani deseruerit: quive privatus pro potestate magistratuve quid sciens dolo malo gesserit: quive quid eorum, quae supra scripta sunt, facere curaverit:
3 Marcianus, Institutes, Book XIV. The Law of the Twelve Tables directs that anyone who stirs up an enemy, or who delivers a citizen to him, shall be punished capitally. And the Julian Law on lese majesty provides that he who injures the dignity of the State shall be liable, just as one who has submitted to the enemy in war, or occupied a castle, or surrendered a camp. He is liable under the same law who engages in hostilities, without the order of the Emperor; or levies soldiers, or equips an army; or, when his successor arrives in the province, does not deliver the army to him, or who relinquishes his command, or deserts the military service of the Roman people; or who, being a private individual, knowingly and fraudulently performs some act of authority or magistracy; or causes any of the things above mentioned to be done.
4 Scaevola libro quarto regularum. cuiusque dolo malo iureiurando quis adactus est, quo adversus rem publicam faciat: cuiusve dolo malo exercitus populi Romani in insidias deductus hostibusve proditus erit: factumve dolo malo cuius dicitur, quo minus hostes in potestatem populi Romani veniant: cuiusve opera dolo malo hostes populi Romani commeatu armis telis equis pecunia aliave qua re adiuti erunt: utve ex amicis hostes populi Romani fiant: cuiusve dolo malo factum erit, quo rex exterae nationis populo Romano minus obtemperet: cuiusve opera dolo malo factum erit, quo magis obsides pecunia iumenta hostibus populi Romani dentur adversus rem publicam. item qui confessum in iudicio reum et propter hoc in vincula coniectum emiserit. 1Hoc crimine liberatus est a senatu, qui statuas imperatoris reprobatas conflaverit.
4 Scævola, Rules, Book IV. He by whose malicious contrivance anyone is compelled to swear to something against the State, or the army of the Roman people has been led into ambush or betrayed to the enemy; or who, with malicious intent, has prevented the enemy from falling into the power of the Roman people; or by whose agency the enemies of the Roman people have been furnished with provisions, arms, darts, horses, money, or anything else; or who has induced friends to become enemies of the Roman people, or with malicious design, has induced the king of a foreign nation to be less obedient to the Roman people; or by his malicious schemes has caused more hostages, money, and beasts of burden to be given to the enemies of the Roman people, to the injury of his country. Likewise, he who, after the culprit has confessed his crime in court, and been placed in prison, enables the latter to escape. 1He who melts down statues of the Emperor which have been rejected is released from liability for this crime by the Senate.
5 Marcianus libro quinto regularum. Non contrahit crimen maiestatis, qui statuas Caesaris vetustate corruptas reficit. 1Nec qui lapide iactato incerto fortuito statuam attigerit, crimen maiestatis commisit: et ita Severus et Antoninus Iulio Cassiano rescripserunt. 2Idem Pontio rescripsit non videri contra maiestatem fieri ob imagines Caesaris nondum consecratas venditas.
5 Marcianus, Rules, Book V. He does not commit the crime of lese majesty, who repairs the statues of the Emperor which have become damaged by age. 1Nor does he commit the crime of lese majesty who, having thrown a stone without aiming at anything, accidentally strikes a statue of the Emperor; and this was stated by Severus and Antoninus in a Rescript addressed to Julius Cassianus. 2The same Emperor stated in a rescript to Pontius that to sell the statues of the Emperor which had not yet been consecrated was not lese majesty.
6 Venuleius Saturninus libro secundo de iudiciis publicis. Qui statuas aut imagines imperatoris iam consecratas conflaverint aliudve quid simile admiserint, lege Iulia maiestatis tenentur.
6 Venuleius Saturninus, On Public Prosecutions, Book II. Those who melt down the statues of the Emperor which have already been consecrated, or commit any other act of this kind, are liable under the Julian Law relating to lese majesty.
7 Modestinus libro duodecimo pandectarum. Famosi, qui ius accusandi non habent, sine ulla dubitatione admittuntur ad hanc accusationem. 1Sed et milites, qui causas alias defendere non possunt: nam qui pro pace excubant, magis magisque ad hanc accusationem admittendi sunt. 2Servi quoque deferentes audiuntur et quidem dominos suos: et liberti patronos. 3Hoc tamen crimen iudicibus non in occasione ob principalis maiestatis venerationem habendum est, sed in veritate: nam et personam spectandam esse, an potuerit facere, et an ante quid fecerit et an cogitaverit et an sanae mentis fuerit. nec lubricum linguae ad poenam facile trahendum est: quamquam enim temerarii digni poena sint, tamen ut insanis illis parcendum est, si non tale sit delictum, quod vel ex scriptura legis descendit vel ad exemplum legis vindicandum est. 4Crimen maiestatis facto vel violatis statuis vel imaginibus maxime exacerbatur in milites.
7 Modestinus, Pandects, Book XII. Persons who are infamous and have no right to bring an accusation are undoubtedly permitted to bring this one. 1Soldiers, also, who cannot defend other causes, can act in this proceeding; for as they guard the peace, they, much more than others, should be permitted to bring this accusation. 2Slaves, also, should be heard as accusers in cases of this kind, even against their masters, as well as freedmen against their patrons. 3This accusation, however, should not be considered by judges as affording an opportunity to show their veneration for the majesty of the Emperor, for this should only be done where the charge is true; for the personal character of the accused should be taken in account, and whether he could have committed the offence, as well as whether he had previously done or planned anything of the same nature, and also if he was of sane mind, for a slip of the tongue ought not inconsiderately be held as deserving of punishment. For, although rash persons ought to be punished, still, they should be excused, just as lunatics are, when the offence is not included in the strict terms of the law; or if it should be punished, as resembling one specified by the law. 4The crime of lese majesty committed by defacing statues or portraits is much worse when perpetrated by soldiers.
8 Papinianus libro tertio decimo responsorum. In quaestionibus laesae maiestatis etiam mulieres audiuntur. coniurationem denique Sergii Catilinae Iulia mulier detexit et Marcum Tullium consulem indicium eius instruxit.
8 Papinianus, Opinions, Book XIII. Women are also heard in cases involving lese majesty. A woman named Julia revealed the conspiracy of Lucius Cataline, and furnished the Consul, Marcus Tullius, the evidence upon which to base the prosecution.
9 Hermogenianus libro quinto iuris epitomarum. Eorum, qui maiestatis crimine damnati sunt, libertorum bona liberis damnatorum conservari divus Severus decrevit et tunc demum fisco vindicari, si nemo damnati liberorum existat.
9 Hermogenianus, The Law, Book V. The Divine Severus decided that the property of freedmen who have been convicted of the crime of lese majesty shall be preserved for their children, and shall be confiscated to the Treasury if no child of the convicted person should appear.
10 Idem libro sexto iuris epitomarum. Maiestatis crimine accusari potest, cuius ope consilio dolo malo provincia vel civitas hostibus prodita est.
10 The Same, Epitomes of Law, Book VI. He can be accused of lese majesty by whose aid, advice, or malicious contrivance a province or a city has been delivered to the enemy.
11 Ulpianus libro octavo disputationum. Is, qui in reatu decedit, integri status decedit: extinguitur enim crimen mortalitate. nisi forte quis maiestatis reus fuit: nam hoc crimine nisi a successoribus purgetur, hereditas fisco vindicatur. plane non quisque legis Iuliae maiestatis reus est, in eadem condicione est, sed qui perduellionis reus est, hostili animo adversus rem publicam vel principem animatus: ceterum si quis ex alia causa legis Iuliae maiestatis reus sit, morte crimine liberatur.
11 Ulpianus, Disputations, Book VIII. He who dies while an accusation against him is pending retains his civil status unimpaired, for the crime is extinguished by death, unless he was accused of lese majesty; for if he is not cleared of this offence by his successors, his estate will be forfeited to the Treasury. It is evident that not everyone accused of lese majesty under the Julian Law is in this position, but only he who is guilty of high treason, and is animated by hostile intent against the State or the Emperor. For if anyone is accused under any other section of the Julian Law on lese majesty, he will be released from the charge by death.