Ager publicus

The ager publicus was in the Roman Republic, owned by the state - initially the common of the city of Rome - located country which also originally common form of ownership of land.

The ever attempted and partially successful privatization of ager publicus in individual property ( ager privatus ) was a central domestic issue in Roman history. The measurement and distribution of the ager publicus fell within the remit of the Decemviri Agris Dandis Adsignandis. From the 2nd century BC led to this contentious issue again and again to violent conflicts, such as in the Gracchan reforms. The importance of this issue is also reflected in the large number of arable read laws (leges agrariae ), which were adopted in the republic. The initiative to them, almost always came from the ranks of the tribunes of the people and their "party", the Populares. As a reason for this is believed to increase with these advances their power and wanted if possible to secure their re-election:

  • The agrarian laws of Tiberius Gracchus (133 BC)
  • The agrarian laws in the Leges Semproniae of Gaius Gracchus (123 BC)
  • The lex agraria of 111 BC
  • The Lex Appuleia agraria of Lucius Saturninus Appuleius of 100 BC
  • The Lex agraria of 59 BC

The opponents of such field - distribution laws usually came from the ranks of Optimates. Cicero fought in 63 BC, for example, in De lege agraria successfully the application of the lex agraria tribunes Publius Servilius Rullus to legalize the time of the dictatorship of Sulla acquired land and the distribution of ager publicus in Italy to landless peasants.

The shrinking by delivery to individuals ager publicus was increased through territorial gains from war again and again. Following a collective approach by the Romans remained the newly conquered land as ager publicus jointly owned. For example, the land of the city of Veii, which was declared after the conquest and destruction of the city in 396 BC to the ager publicus. Until the early imperial period, however, the whole ager publicus was divided within Italy and thus become private property. Also, the ager publicus in the provinces could pass into the possession of private individuals, but remained the property of the people or the emperor.

For ager publicus and the approximately 250 -acre campus Martius belonged ( Field of Mars, now the Roman district of Campo Marzio ) between the lowlands west of the Via Lata (now Via del Corso ) and the bend of the Tiber, which served as horses and sheep grazing initially, as a training ground for the Roman military, as a place where foreign rulers and their ambassadors were received, which were not allowed to enter the city, as well as an area where foreign cults were allowed to build their temple. The piecewise taking place development of the Campus Martius (see there), without authorization, is a good example, has been handled in the late period of the Roman Republic with public lands.

The Romans made the ager publicus a number of differences:

  • Ager captivus was the conquered land that was added to the public land (example Veii );
  • Ager colonicus was the public land that has been awarded for the establishment of colonies;
  • Ager compascuus was the public land that has not been used for agriculture, ie forests, pastures (Example: Campus Martius ), quarries;
  • Ager occupatorius was made ​​arable public land, which was released for use free of duty and without change of ownership;
  • Ager provincialis was the public land in the provinces in the property of the people or the emperor that might not pass into private ownership;
  • Ager stipendiarius was the public land in the provinces ( later only in the senatorial provinces ), which was issued revocable and subject to tax at local farmers;
  • Ager tributarius was the public land in the provinces ( later only in the imperial provinces ), which was issued revocable and subject to tax at local farmers;
  • Ager vectigalis was the public land, which leased the Censor to individuals;

The ager publicus faced the other forms of ownership, ie mainly the private land:

  • Ager Desertus was private land that had been abandoned by their owners - a phenomenon that spread from the 2nd century in the Roman Empire;
  • Ager privatus was tax-free land in the ownership of Roman citizens;
  • Ager privatus vectigalisque was formerly public land that has been left for a payment to the state Roman citizens as taxable property;
  • Ager quaestorius was conquered public land, which was sold by quaestors and thus became private, heritable, salable and taxable property;
  • Ager peregrinus was land that a community (state, city) belonged to the Rome maintained contractual relations;

History of Research

Max Weber employed in the Roman agrarian history in their importance to the state and private law in an investigation of various forms of ownership on the ground in the Roman Empire with the ager publicus.

Lucius Appuleius Saturninus Roman censor
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