De nundinis
(Concerning markets.)
1 Modestinus libro tertio regularum. Nundinis impetratis a principe non utendo qui meruit decennii tempore usum amittit.
1 Modestinus, Rules, Book III. Where permission to hold a market has been obtained from the Emperor, and the person accorded the privilege does not make use of it for ten years, he will lose it.
2 Callistratus libro tertio de cognitionibus. Si quis ipsos cultores agrorum vel piscatores deferre utensilia in civitatem iusserit, ut ipsi ea distrahant, destituetur annonae praebitio, cum avocentur ab opere rustici: qui confestim ubi detulerint mercem, tradere eam et ad opera sua reverti debeant. denique summae prudentiae et auctoritatis apud Graecos Plato cum institueret, quemadmodum civitas bene beate habitari possit, in primis istos negotiatores necessarios duxit. sic enim libro secundo πολιτείας ait: δεῖ γὰρ πλειόνων ἄρα γεωργῶν τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων δημιουργῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων διακόνων τῶν γε εἰσαξόντων καὶ ἐξαξόντων ἕκαστα· οὗτοι δέ εἰσιν ἔμποροι. κομίσας δὲ ὁ γεωργὸς εἰς τὴν ἀγοράν τι ὧν ποιεῖ ἤ τις ἄλλος τῶν δημιουργῶν μὴ εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον ἥκῃ τοῖς δεομένοις τὰ παρ’ αὐτοῦ ἀνταλλὰξασθαι, ἀργήσει τῆς αὑτοῦ δημιουργίας καθήμενος ἐν ἀγορᾷ; οὐδαμῶς, ἦ δ’ ὅς, ἀλλ’ εἰσὶν οἳ τοῦτο ὁρῶντες ἑαυτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν διακονίαν τάττουσι ταύτην.
2 Callistratus, Judicial Inquiries, Book III. When anyone orders the cultivators of land and fishermen to bring provisions into a city, in order that they themselves may dispose of them, for the reason that the supply of provisions will be diminished when the farmers are called away from their work, those who bring in the merchandise must deliver it immediately after doing so, and return to their labors. Hence, Plato displayed the highest wisdom and authority who while he was teaching among the Greeks, stated that in order for a city to be prosperous, and its people to be happy, it must, in the first place, attract all such merchants as were necessary; for, in the First Book on Civil Intercourse, he said: “A city is in need of many farmers, and other laborers and artisans, as well as of those who bring in and carry away articles of commerce, for these are traders. Where, however, a farmer brings to market anything which he produced, or any other laborer does so, and he does not immediately encounter someone who desires to exchange wares with him, will it be necessary for him to remain sitting in his place in the market until he disposes of his commodities? By no means, for there are those who, seeing this, may offer their services for the disposal of the merchandise.”