Ad legem Iuliam de vi publica
(Concerning the Julian law on public violence.)
1 Marcianus libro quarto decimo institutionum. Lege Iulia de vi publica tenetur, qui arma tela domi suae agrove inve villa praeter usum venationis vel itineris vel navigationis coegerit.
1 Marcianus, Institutes, Book XIV. He is liable under the Julian Law relating to Public Violence who collects arms or darts in his house, or on his land, or in a farm house, in larger quantities than is customary for the purpose of hunting, or travel by land or water.
2 Scaevola libro quarto regularum. Excipiuntur autem arma, quae quis promercii causa habuerit hereditateve ei obvenerint.
2 Scævola, Rules, Book IV. Arms which anyone has for the purpose of trade, or which have descended to him by inheritance, are excepted.
3 Marcianus libro quarto decimo institutionum. In eadem causa sunt, qui turbae seditionisve faciendae consilium inierint servosve aut liberos homines in armis habuerint. 1Eadem lege tenetur, qui pubes cum telo in publico fuerit. 2In eadem causa sunt, qui pessimo exemplo convocatu seditione villas expugnaverint et cum telis et armis bona rapuerint. 3Item tenetur, qui ex incendio rapuerit aliquid praeter materiam. 4Praeterea punitur huius legis poena, qui puerum vel feminam vel quemquam per vim stupraverit. 5Sed et qui in incendio cum gladio aut telo rapiendi causa fuit vel prohibendi dominum res suas servare, eadem poena tenetur. 6Eadem lege tenetur, qui hominibus armatis possessorem domo agrove suo aut navi sua deiecerit expugnaverit
3 Marcianus, Institutes, Book XIV. Those, also, are in the same position who form the design of exciting a tumult, or sedition, and have slaves or freemen under arms. 1He is liable under the same law who, having arrived at puberty, appears armed in public. 2Those are in the same position who, offering an extremely bad example by having assembled in numbers and excited sedition, plunder country-houses, and with darts or arms commit robbery. 3He also is liable who, in case of fire, removes by violence anything except the materials of the building. 4Moreover, he who pollutes by force a boy or a woman, or anyone whomsoever, is also liable to punishment under this law. 5He also who goes to a fire armed with a sword or other weapon for the purpose of robbery, or to prevent the owner from saving his property, is liable to the same penalty. 6He is liable under the same law who, with armed men assembled in a body with a display of force, expels a possessor from his house, his land, or his ship:
4 Ulpianus libro quinquagensimo nono ad edictum. utive id staret, homines commodaverit:
4 Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book LIX. Or has provided men for this purpose.
5 Marcianus libro quarto decimo institutionum. qui coetu conversu turba seditione incendium fecerit: quique hominem dolo malo incluserit obsederit: quive fecerit, quo minus sepeliatur, quo magis funus diripiatur distrahatur: quive per vim sibi aliquem obligaverit, nam eam obligationem lex rescindit. 1Si de vi et possessione vel dominio quaeratur, ante cognoscendum de vi quam de proprietate rei divus Pius τῷ κοινῷ τῶν Θεσσαλῶν Graece rescripsit: sed et decrevit, ut prius de vi quaeratur quam de iure dominii sive possessionis. 2Qui vacantem mulierem rapuit vel nuptam, ultimo supplicio punitur et, si pater iniuriam suam precibus exoratus remiserit, tamen extraneus sine quinquennii praescriptione reum postulare poterit, cum raptus crimen legis Iuliae de adulteris potestatem excedit.
5 Marcianus, Institutes, Book XIV. Anyone who, by means of an assembly, a crowd, a tumult, or a sedition, causes a conflagration; or who maltreats a man whom he has wrongfully confined; or who prevents a body from being buried, to better enable him to disperse and plunder a funeral procession; or forcibly compels someone to become obligated to him, for the law rescinds an obligation of this kind, is liable. 1When a question of violence and possession, or ownership is involved, the Divine Pius stated in a Rescript that the violence should be investigated before the right of ownership, which Rescript, written in Greek, was addressed to the community of the Thessalians. He also decreed that the question of violence should be examined before that of ownership or possession was decided. 2Anyone who has ravished a free woman, or one who is married, shall be punished with death. If her father, moved by prayers, pardons his injury, a stranger can prosecute without being barred by the prescription of five years, because the crime of rape exceeds in scope the Julian Law relating to Adultery.
6 Ulpianus libro septimo de officio proconsulis. Et eum, qui puerum ingenuum rapuit, puniendum divus Pius rescripsit in haec verba: ‘Exemplum libelli dati mihi a Domitio Silvano nomine Domitii Silvani patrui subici iussi, motus querella eius, qua significavit filium suum ingenuum, iuvenem admodum, raptum atque conclusum, mox verberibus ac tormentis usque ad summum periculum adflictum, gemine carissime: velim audias eum et, si compereris haec ita admissa, rem severe exequaris’.
6 Ulpianus, On the Duties of Proconsul, Book VII. The Divine Pius stated in a Rescript that whoever ravishes a freeborn boy should be punished, as follows: “I have ordered the submission to me of a petition presented by Domitius Silvanus, in the name of Domitius Silvanus, his paternal uncle, who, having been influenced by his complaint, in which it is stated that his son who was freeborn, and still very young, was carried away by force, shut up, and afterwards subjected to blows and tortures, with great danger to his life. My dear brother, I request you to hear him, and, if you ascertain that these offences have been committed, punish them severely.”
7 Idem libro octavo de officio proconsulis. Lege Iulia de vi publica tenetur, qui, cum imperium potestatemve haberet, civem Romanum adversus provocationem necaverit verberaverit iusseritve quid fieri aut quid in collum iniecerit, ut torqueatur. item quod ad legatos oratores comitesve attinebit, si quis eorum pulsasse et sive iniuriam fecisse arguetur.
7 The Same, On the Duties of Proconsul, Book VIII. Anyone who is invested with authority or power, and subjects a Roman citizen to death or scourging, or orders this to be done, or attaches anything to his neck for the purpose of torturing him, without permitting him to appeal, is liable under the Julian Law relating to Public Violence. This also applies to deputies and orators, and their attendants, where anyone is proved to have beaten them, or caused them any injury.
8 Maecianus libro quinto publicorum. Lege Iulia de vi publica cavetur, ne quis reum vinciat impediatve, quo minus Romae intra certum tempus adsit.
8 Marcianus, Public Prosecutions, Book V. By the Julian Law relating to Public Violence, it is provided that no one can bind an accused person, or prevent him from appearing at Rome within a certain time.
9 Paulus libro septimo ad edictum. Armatos non utique eos intellegere debemus, qui tela habuerunt, sed etiam quid aliud nocere potest.
9 Paulus, On the Edict, Book VII. By “armed persons” we should understand not merely those who have darts, but also anything else with which they can cause injury.
10 Ulpianus libro sexagensimo octavo ad edictum. Qui dolo malo fecerit, quo minus iudicia tuto exerceantur aut iudices ut oportet iudicent vel is, qui potestatem imperiumve habebit, quam ei ius erit, decernat imperet faciat: qui ludos pecuniamve ab aliquo invito polliceri publice privatimve per iniuriam exegerit: item qui cum telo dolo malo in contione fuerit aut ubi iudicium publice exercebitur. exceptus est, qui propter venationem habeat homines, qui cum bestiis pugnent, ministrosque ad ea habere conceditur. 1Hac lege tenetur et qui convocatis hominibus vim fecerit, quo quis verberetur et pulsetur, neque homo occisus sit. 2Damnato de vi publica aqua et igni interdicitur.
10 Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book LXVIII. He who fraudulently prevents the free administration of justice, or prevents the judges from deciding as they should do; or he who, being invested with power or authority, acts in any other way than the law decrees and requires that he should; and anyone who unjustly compels a person to promise, either publicly or privately, to furnish slaves, or pay money; and also anyone who, with malicious intent, appears armed in an assembly, or in a place where justice is publicly administered, with the exception of him who collects men in order to hunt wild beasts, and who is permitted to keep people for this purpose, will be liable under this law. 1He, also, is liable under this law, who, where men have been assembled, uses force for the purpose of striking or beating someone, even though he may not be killed. 2He who is convicted of having employed public violence is interdicted the use of water and fire.
11 Paulus libro quinto sententiarum. Hi, qui aedes alienas aut villas expilaverint effregerint expugnaverint, si quid in turba cum telis fecerint, capite puniuntur. 1Telorum autem appellatione omnia, ex quibus singuli homines nocere possunt, accipiuntur. 2Qui telum tutandae salutis suae causa gerunt, non videntur hominis occidendi causa portare.
11 Paulus, Sentences, Book V. Those who have plundered the houses of others in the city or in the country, or have broken into them, or seized them, and have done so by means of a mob and with a display of armed force, shall be punished capitally. 1By the term “arms,” is understood everything a man can make use of to cause injury. 2Those who carry arms in order to protect themselves are not considered to carry them for the purpose of killing anyone.
12 Paulus libro singulari ad senatus consultum Turpillianum. Qui nova vectigalia exercent, lege Iulia de vi publica tenentur.
12 The Same, On the Turpillian Decree of the Senate. Those who impose new taxes arbitrarily are liable under the Julian Law relating to Public Violence.