De officio proconsulis libri
Ex libro X
The Same, on the Duties of Proconsul, Book X. The Proconsul must remember that he ought to perform all his duties until the arrival of his successor, for the reason that there is but one Proconsulate, and the welfare of the province requires that there should always be someone through whom the people may transact their business; he should therefore administer justice until the arrival of his successor. 1The Lex Julia Concerning Extortion and the Rescript of the Emperor Hadrian to Calpurnius Rufus, Proconsul of Achaia, forbids Proconsuls to dismiss their Deputies previously to their own departure.
The Same, On the Duties of Proconsul, Book X. It is not unusual for Governors to forbid persons to act as advocates, sometimes for life, and sometimes for a certain term of years, or for the time during which they rule the province. 1Anyone can also be forbidden to assist certain persons. 2Anyone can be forbidden to accuse another before the tribunal of a Governor, and still he cannot be forbidden to do so before his Deputy, or the Agent of the Treasury. 3If, however, he is forbidden to prosecute before the Deputy, I think that, in consequence of this, he will not retain the power to do so before the Governor. 4Sometimes a person is not forbidden to act as advocate, but to practice law. The latter penalty is more severe than the prohibition of appearing as an advocate, since, by means of it, a person is not permitted to transact any legal business whatever. It is customary to interdict in this manner students of law, advocates, notaries, and other members of the legal profession. 5It is also customary to prohibit them from drawing up any instrument, petition, or deposition whatever. 6It is also customary to prohibit them from stopping in places where public documents are deposited, for instance, in the archives, or wherever such papers are stored. 7It is also customary to prohibit them from formulating wills, or writing, or sealing them. 8The penalty of being prohibited from conducting any public business is also imposed; for a person of this kind can transact private business, and still be forbidden to attend to any that is public; as occurs in cases where sentence is pronounced to abstain from all public matters. 9There are also other penalties, as where anyone is ordered to abstain from any negotiation; or from having anything to do with the contracts of those who lease property belonging to the public; or with the public taxes. 10It is customary for anyone to be forbidden to transact any special matter, or any business in general; but let us see whether he can be sentenced to transact some business. These penalties, indeed, if anyone wishes to discuss them in a general way, are contrary to the Civil Law, for a man cannot be ordered, against his consent, to do something that he is unable to perform; but, in particular instances, good reason exists for compelling him to attend to certain negotiations. When this is the case, the sentence must be executed. 11The following are the penalties which are ordinarily inflicted. It must, however, be remembered that distinctions exist between them, and that all persons should not be subjected to the same punishment. For, in the first place, decurions cannot be sentenced to the mines, nor to work connected with the mines, nor to the gallows, nor to be burned alive; and if any of these sentences should be imposed upon them, they must be released. He who pronounced the sentence, however, cannot do this, but it ought to be referred to the Emperor, who, by his authority, will either commute the penalty or discharge the party in question. 12The parents and children of decurions also enjoy the same privilege. 13We should understand by the term “children,” not only the sons but all the offspring. 14But are only those born after the office of decurion has been obtained, exempt from these penalties; or are all the children, even those born in a plebeian family, excepted? is a question which should be considered. I am inclined to believe that all are entitled to the privilege. 15It is clear that if the father has ceased to be a decurion, any child born while he holds the office will enjoy the privilege of not being subjected to these penalties; but if, after he became a plebeian again, he should have a son, the latter, having been born a plebeian, should be punished in this manner. 16The Divine Pius stated to Salvius Marcianus in a Rescript that a slave, who is to become free under a condition, should be punished just as if he were already free.
The Same, On the Duties of Proconsul, Book X. The Divine Hadrian stated in a Rescript to Aquilius Bradua: “It is evident that, by the name itself, one ought to understand what is meant by clothing. For no one can reasonably say that under this term is included the property of persons who have been condemned, for if anyone is wearing a girdle, no one should claim it on this ground; but any clothing which he wears, or any small sums of money which he may have in his possession for the purpose of living, or any light rings, that is to say, any which are not worth more than five aurei, can be demanded. “Otherwise, if the convicted person should have on his finger a sardonyx, or any other precious stone of great value, or have in his possession any note calling for a large sum of money, this can, by no right, be retained as part of his clothing.” Clothing of which a man can be stripped are those things which he brought with him when he was placed in prison, and with which he is attired when he is conducted to punishment, as the name itself indicates. Hence, neither the executioners nor their assistants can claim these things as spoils at the moment when the culprit is executed. Governors should not appropriate these articles for their own benefit, or suffer assistants or jailors to profit by this money, but they ought to preserve it for expenditures which Governors have the right to make; as, for instance, for paper for the use of certain officials; or as donations for soldiers who have distinguished themselves by their courage; or to be presented to barbarians belonging to an embassy; or for some other purpose. Frequently, moreover, Governors have paid into the Treasury sums of money which they had collected, which is a manifestation of too great diligence, as it will be sufficient if they do not appropriate it to their own use, but permit it to be employed for the benefit of their office.
The Same, On the Duties of Proconsul, Book II. There are two kinds of relegated persons; first, those who are merely relegated to an island; and second, others who are forbidden to enter the provinces, but to whom no island is assigned. 1The Governors of provinces can relegate persons to an island, iprovided they have under their control one that belongs to the province over which they have jurisdfction; and they can specifically designate this island, and relegate the culprit to it. But if they have not such an island under their control, they can sentence the guilty party to be relegated to an island, and then write to the Emperor in order that he can assign one to them. They cannot, however, sentence anyone to an island which does not form part of the province over which they have jurisdiction. In the meantime, until the Emperor assigns an island, the person who is relegated is placed in charge of the military. 2The following difference exists between persons who are deported, and those who are relegated, that is to say, anyone can be relegated to an island for a certain term, or for life. 3When anyone is relegated for a certain term or for life, he retains the right of Roman citizenship, and does not lose the power to make a will. 4It is established by certain rescripts, that neither all, nor even a portion of their property, can be taken from persons who have been relegated for a certain term; and judgment depriving persons relegated of a part or of all of their property have been censured, but not to the extent of invalidating such judgments. 5A certain kind of relegation, like that to an island, exists in the Province of Egypt, that is to say, relegation to an oasis. 6However, as no one can relegate a person to an island not under his control, so, he has no right to relegate him to a province which is not in his jurisdiction; as, for example, the Governor of Syria cannot relegate anyone to Macedonia. 7He can, however, relegate him outside of his province. 8Likewise, he can relegate anyone to remain in a certain specified part of his province; for instance, he may forbid him to leave a certain city, or a certain district. 9I am aware that Governors are accustomed to relegate persons to the most desert parts of their provinces. 10Anyone can forbid a person to live in the province which he governs, but he cannot do so in another. This was stated by the Divine Brothers in a Rescript. The result of this was, that anyone who was relegated from the province in which he had his domicile could go and live in that in which he was born. Our Emperor and his Divine Brothers, however, provided for this contingency; for they stated in a Rescript addressed to Probus, the Governor of the Province of Spain, that: “Anyone can be forbidden to remain in the province in which he had been born by the official who governs the province where the person had his domicile.” Still, it is just that those who are not residents of the province in which they committed the offence should be judged in accordance with the terms of this Rescript. 11It has been doubted whether anyone can prohibit another from remaining in the province in which he was born, when he himself governs the province in which the person lives, and he does not forbid him to remain in his own province; as Governors are accustomed to make Italy the object of the interdiction, and do not forbid the culprits to enter their own country; or whether it consequently appears that even the province in which they govern has been interdicted. This latter opinion should be adopted. 12On the other hand, he who governs the province where the party in question was born has no right to forbid him to dwell in the province which he now inhabits. 13Where anyone confesses a judgment, so that he who has committed an offence in one province can be relegated by the Governor of that province, the result will be that the person relegated must avoid the three provinces, except Italy; that is, the one in which he committed the offence; the one in which he lives; and the one in which he was born. If, either on account of his condition or that of his parents or patrons, he is considered to have had his origin in different provinces, we should say that he has, in consequence, been forbidden several provinces. 14Nevertheless, certain Governors have been permitted to interdict several provinces, as for instance, the Governors of Syria and of Dacia. 15It has been decided that anyone who has been forbidden to reside in his native province should also remain away from Rome; and, on the other hand, if anyone has been forbidden to reside at Rome he will not be considered to have been forbidden to live in his own country. This has been provided by several constitutions. 16If it is clear that not one’s native country, but some particular city has been forbidden him, let us see if we cannot say that his native province, as well as the City of Rome, have also been forbidden him, which is the better opinion. 17A day should be fixed by the Governor for the departure of persons who have been relegated, and this is usually done; for it is customary to render the decision as follows: “I relegate So-and-So from this province, and from these islands, and he must depart before such-and-such a day.” 18The Divine Brothers stated in a Rescript that a person who had been relegated is certainly entitled to present a petition to the Emperor. 19Moreover, the sentence usually prohibits persons from residing in the territory of their native province or city, or within the walls of the latter, or from leaving it, or from stopping in certain suburbs of the same. 20It is customary to forbid decurions to enjoy the privileges of their order, either temporarily or permanently. 21Likewise, the penalty can be imposed upon anyone not to accept any honor, and this does not have the effect of causing him to cease to act as decurion; as, indeed, anyone may be a decurion, and still not be permitted to accept any honors, for anyone can be a Senator, and still not be able to demand any. 22Anyone can also be forbidden to receive a single honor, in such a way, however, that he who is forbidden to do so can not only obtain this particular honor, but also those which are greater; for it would be extremely ridiculous for a person who was prohibited by way of penalty from receiving inferior honors to be able to aspire to greater ones. Nevertheless, one who has been prohibited from receiving certain honors is not prevented from seeking those which are inferior; but if anyone is forbidden to accept an office by way of penalty, the sentence will be void, for a penalty cannot bestow immunity. Therefore, if someone is deprived of honors, by way of penalty, it can be said that where the said honors include an office involving great expense, the infamy of the convicted person will not benefit him on this account.
Ulpianus, On the Duties of Proconsul, Book X. A Governor can sentence anyone not to leave his own house.