Mosaycarum et Romanarum legum collatio

TITVLVS III.

VLPIANVS in the eighth book on the office of the Proconsul, under the title "On the cruelty of masters." If a master acts cruelly toward a slave, or compels him to a shameful violation of modesty, what the duties of the Governor are is made manifest from the rescript of the Divine Pius to Aurelius Marcianus, Proconsul of Baetica: The words of which rescript are these: The power of masters over their slaves ought to be unimpaired, nor should his right be taken away from any man. But it is in the interest of the masters that help against cruelty, or hunger, or intolerable injury be not denied to those who justly plead. And therefore take cognizance of the complaints of those who have fled from the household of Iullus Sabinus to the statue, and if you have recognized that they have been treated more harshly than is fair, or affected by the injury of infamy, order them to come so that they do not return into the power of Sabinus. But if he has committed fraud against my constitution, he shall know that I will more severely execute the offense. The Divine Hadrian also relegated a certain matron to exile for five years, because she treated her female slaves most atrociously for the most trivial causes. Likewise, the Divine Pius wrote back to the petition of Alfius Iulus these words: The obedience of slaves ought to be maintained not only by command, but also by moderation, by sufficient provision, and by just work. And so he himself ought to take care to treat you also justly and temperately so that he may also be able to demand obedience, unless it appears that he is either in debt to his parents or is forced to exercise a more atrocious cruelty of domination.