What is mansion in ancient Rome? The word "mansation" consists of two parts. The first is formed from manus, which means "hand", and the second from capio, meaning "I take." Thus, there is a connection with the transfer of things from hand to hand, that is, with the transfer of ownership.
But you need to understand that this law institute did not concern all types of property. This refers to strictly defined things that were called mansized.
Secular character of the rite
Some people wonder if religion has the concept of mansion in ancient Rome? This is only indirectly related to religion, since when things are transferred, a procedure takes place, accompanied by an oath pronounced during a certain rite, which is typical for sacred ceremonies.
However, during the use of the Laws, 12 tables, despite the application of oaths and the performance of other ritual actions, the right already existed independently, without being dependent on religious norms, and had a secular character.
Concept and signs
Mantilization in Ancient Rome is the performance of a special rite that was used to fix the right of ownership of a thing. This was the main legal purpose of the manipulations.
In other words, the meaning of mancipation in ancient Rome is the right of ownership, which is currently moving from one owner to another. At the same time, this fact is made public in the presence of both the person alienating the property and acquiring it, as well as several witnesses. And thereby it is documented.
The characteristic features of mansion are the following:
- With this method of establishing ownership, it was not enough just to conclude a contract of sale.
- It was not enough to carry out an act of tradition, that is, a simple transfer according to the law.
- Mantilization occurred only in relation to a certain group of things.
To understand that this is a mansion in ancient Rome, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with how things were intended to be transferred from one owner to another.
Things that are maniculated and non-manicured
Among the mannered were things that had the greatest value and were economic objects. They primarily included:
- slaves;
- livestock used in agriculture;
- estates of Roman citizens within Rome;
- land easements (the most important objects of rights to things that appeared in the archaic period as collective family property).
All other things, the sale of which was informal in nature, were unmanaged. These included:
- lands outside Italy;
- animals not characteristic of these places, such as camels;
- all kinds of clothes;
- household items, for example, dishes;
- jewelry.
For such objects, it was enough to complete an act of tradition, the essence of which was the actual change of ownership.
To understand that this is a mansion in ancient Rome, one cannot do without not considering the rite itself.
Imaginary sale
It was in it that the essence of the outer side of the ritual of mansion was contained, which was a strict formal transaction made with the help of "copper and scales." For its holding, in addition to the parties selling and accepting the property, five witnesses were invited, who were selected exclusively from among Roman citizens who were free. Moreover, they should have been adults.
Another protagonist of this rite was the holder of copper scales. The buyer held a piece of copper in his hands and pronounced a solemn formula. If, for example, a slave was bought, then its acquirer said: "I affirm that the slave belongs to me according to the Cyrillic law, and that the slave should be considered by me through this copper scale for this metal."
After that, he hit the scales with a piece of metal three times. The metal was used because in those days, to which the occurrence of the rite relates, the minted coin did not exist yet. This symbolic money was transferred to the one who acquired the property through the manipulation of as a purchase amount. Such actions were a symbol of the lawful transfer of property rights.
In this way, slaves, pets, land, and property rights were sold. At the same time, those items of sale that could be felt by hand - slaves and animals - should have been present at the venue of the transaction.
Thus, the mansion in ancient Rome is a rite that gave the trade turnover, in which socially significant objects participated, publicity.
In such circumstances, the possibility of selling property to several citizens at once was excluded. And also it was impossible to sell a thing belonging to another person. That is, the ritual of mantling confirmed the legality of the transaction.