«Il servo della pena nel Codice Teodosiano»

Au IIème s. ap. J.-Chr. les juristes romains appellent les condamnés à la vivi crematio, ad gladium, ad furcam, in crucem, ad bestias, in ludum venatorium, ad metalla et in opus metalli comme ‘servi poenae’, esclaves de la peine. Ces condamnés après la sentence perdaient la liberté et la citoyenneté. Ils étaient servi sine domino, des esclaves sans un maître qui pouvait les affranchir, mais toutefois propriété de l’empereur: leur condition juridique est discutée dans deux constitutions du Côde Théodosien.

In the second century AD Roman jurists labeled the condemned to the vivi crematio, ad gladium, ad furcam, in crucem, ad bestias, in ludum venatorium, ad metalla and in opus metalli as servi poenae, ‘slaves of the punishment’. From the day the sentence was delivered capital convicts were deprived of freedom, citizenship, personal liberty, and personal relations. They were servi sine domino, slaves without a master that could free them but nevertheless property of the emperor. Two sources of the Theodosian Code refer explicitly to the servus poenae: CTh X, 12, 2, 5 confirms the peculiarity of the imperial institution of servus sine domino; while CTh X, 10, 30 draws a connection between punishment and guilt.