Ancora in tema di redemptio ab hostibus

Sanna, Maria Virginia

2025-01-01

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Abstract

The constitutio de redemptis established that a slave captus ab hostibus and then redemptus, protinus est redimentis, but left the prior dominus the possibility of restoring his right by returning the ransom to the redemptor. Triphoninus in D. 49.15.12.17 recalls the duty of the fiscus to return the price to the redemptor about a redemptus condemned to metalla (Ergo de metallo captus redemptus in poenam suam revertetur, nec tamen ut transfuga metalli punitiendus erit, sed redemptor a fisco pretium recipiet quod etiam constitutum est ab imperatore nostro et divo Severo). Since this duty appears to be an extension of the duty of every dominus under the constitutio de redemptis to return the price of the redemptio in order to regain the right over the slave, Pomponius must have already been aware of the constitutio de redemptis when he wrote D. 49.15.6 (Mulier in opus salinarum ob maleficium data et deinde a latrunculis exterae gentis capta et iure commercii vendita ac redempta in causam suam reccidit. autem Firmo centurioni pretium ex fisco reddendum est). In the sources of the 3rd century, according to some interpolated, the redemptus was subject to the redemptor using a vinculum pignoris, which allowed the latter to retain him and presumably exploit his labour capabilities.