peculium
Quick Summary
In Roman law, a peculium referred to property that a person under the authority of another (such as a child, wife, or slave) could hold as their own private property. This property was technically under the control of the head of the household (paterfamilias) or master, who could reclaim it at any time.1
The term "peculium" is related to the Latin word "pecunia," meaning "money," and ultimately to "pecus," the Latin word for cattle, as cattle were a form of property and a measure of wealth. This concept allowed individuals within a Roman household to accumulate and manage personal assets, even if those assets were not entirely their own.21
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slaveryFamily and property…and use property in a peculium that was legally revocable but could be used to purchase their freedom. This provision gave slaves an incentive to work as well as the hope of eventual manumission.
Read More…and use property in a peculium that was legally revocable but could be used to purchase their freedom. This provision gave slaves an incentive to work as well as the hope of eventual manumission.
Read More- slaveryLaws of manumission
…such accumulation was the Roman peculium, which legally belonged to the master. One of its heirs was called coartación, the self-purchase system, widely used 1,500 years later in Latin America.
Read More…such accumulation was the Roman peculium, which legally belonged to the master. One of its heirs was called coartación, the self-purchase system, widely used 1,500 years later in Latin America.
Read More