Trebatius Testa

Gaius Trebatius Testa (c. 84 BC; † around 4 AD) is one of the most important Roman jurists of the late Republic and early Principate. From his work the title are known by: De religionibus ( About Religious Affairs ) and De iure civili ( About Civil Law ).

The family - and probably Trebatius itself - came from Velia ( Elea gr ) in Lucania. He was a pupil of Quintus Maximus Cornelius and teachers of the most important lawyers of the following generation, Marcus Antistius Labeo, to which the school of Prokulianer can be traced back.

Friendship with Cicero and Caesar

Trebatius was a younger friend Marcus Tullius Cicero. In the year 54 BC Gaius Julius Caesar, Cicero recommended, Trebatius take on the Gallic campaign. He was an intimate friend of Caesar, mediated between Cicero and Caesar, and stood in the civil war on Caesar's side. After his assassination, he joined Octavian.

Testimony to the friendship with Cicero is the dedication of Cicero's Topica font from the year 44 BC to Trebatius. From Cicero's letters to recognize an intimate relationship. Trebatius it does not seem to blame the friend if this makes fun of profession and style of lawyers. So Cicero gives him some good advice for the cold winter in Gaul:

Publius Mucius Scaevola and Manius Manilius are founding fathers of the Roman jurisprudence. The jacket ( sagum ) is the sign of war; " Creating the coats " ( saga sumere ) is called " make ready for battle ."

The lawyer

Despite participating in the campaigns of Caesar and its proximity to the powerful of the time the existence of the Trebatius was neither a military nor a political one. The offices of the cursus honorum he does not apparently held. He was legal advisor and expert. Among the jurists of the early Principate Trebatius enjoyed the greatest reputation. Augustus followed his advice on the recognition of informal testamentary dispositions. In the highest circles of society and the opinion which Trebatius in connection with the donation ban between spouses and the divorce of the Maecenas of Terentia 16 BC leads issued:

Maecenas ' Horace protege immortalized Trebatius as (legal ) adviser in his satires:

The Roman jurist of the 2nd and 3rd century AD quote Trebatius often. In part, you can the impression difficult to avoid that the exaggerations of Cicero in the legal work of the Trebatius actually find, such as in a quote in Ulpian's first book on the edict of the curule aedile. It's about a slave diseases for which his seller the buyer must adhere: