Libertus

A ***Libertus*** (feminine ***Liberta***, and plural *Liberti*), meaning "freed person" was a freed Roman slave. They were also known as *cives Romani liberti* ("freedmen who are Roman citizens").

## Description

The act of freeing a slave was known as *manumissio* (from *manus*, "hand", in the sense of holding or possessing something, and *missio*, the act of releasing). After manumission, a slave who had belonged to a Roman citizen enjoyed not only passive freedom from ownership, but active political freedom (known as *libertas)*, including the right to vote, and in a sense had become a Plebeian citizen. However, Liberti were not entitled to join the Roman Legions, hold public office, gain senatorial rank, or hold state priesthoods.

The former master of a Libertus would become their patron (*Patronus*), and by swearing their Patronus an oath of loyalty, they would support them by voting for them, or refraining from becoming richer than them. In return, a *Libertus*' former master would provide them with resources such as material goods, social connections and legal protections. For "ungrateful" or otherwise unruly *Liberti*, a *Patronus* had several legal

the power to extradite or banish a client from their town or city.

*Liberti* would also take on both the praenomen and gens of their former *Dominus*. Also, in order to differentiate a freedman from a freeborn Roman citizen, a freedman was required to include the letter L (for *Libertas*)

* For example, *Tiro*, a freed slave of Marcus Tullius Cicero, became known as *"Marcus Tullius L. Tiro"* after gaining his freedom).

### Freedwoman

A new freedwoman could now have a two- part name, just like a Roman citizen woman. For her first name, she took on a feminine version of her master’s nomen and she kept her slave name as a second name. So:

A slave called Melissa, freed by a master called Marcus Aemilius Vitalis became Aemilia Melissa.

But when writing her name down, she also had to include the the initial letter of her master’s praenomen and the letter L forliberta.

## History

Before the *Edict of Caracalla* in 212 BC, Roman freedman were not legal Roman citizens.

The *Lex Julia de Maritandis* of 18 BC forbade a senator to marry a freedwoman but in other instances where a freedwoman married her patron she had no right of divorce. Freedwomen did not have the right to benefit from wills until they had four children (other women when they had three children).

The *Lex Fufia Caninia*, passed by Augustus in 2 BC limited the number of slaves one could manumit at any one time based on how many slaves overall the manumitter owned.

A new major law, the *Lex Aelia Sentia* of 4 AD, began controlling the conditions and stipulations of manumission. Under this law, one had to be a certain age (around 20) to manumit a slave. Conversely, the slave themselves had to be at least 30 to be manumitted. Exception were added however for several legal reason such as the slave in question being natural child (*Verna*) of the master, or because the owner wished to marry the slave. Manumissions for the purposes of evading creditors—since a slave could be put down as collateral—were invalid.

The *Lex Aelia Sentia* stated that a freed slave (of either sex) would only become a Roman citizen if they were aged 30 or over, their *Dominus* was age 20 or over and the manumission took place before a magistrate. If a slave was freed before he was 30 he could still become a citizen if he married a free or freed woman and had a son of at least one year old, then a magistrate could make them all Roman citizens. Slaves who had been put in chains, tortured or branded could be freed but not become Roman citizens. They had to live at least 100 miles outside of Rome, could not benefit from a will nor make one.

The *Lex Papia Poppaea* of 9 AD gave a freedwoman rights to make an independent will only if she had four or more children, but a portion of her estate would always be forfeit to her Patron.

During the early Empire, freedmen held key positions in the government bureaucracy, so much so that Hadrian limited their participation by law. Any future children of a freedman would be born free, with full rights of citizenship.

The Claudian Civil Service set a precedent whereby freedmen could be used as civil servants in the Roman bureaucracy. In addition, Claudius passed legislation concerning slaves, including a law stating that sick slaves abandoned by their owners became freedmen if they recovered. The emperor was criticized for using freedmen in the Imperial Courts.

Some freedmen enjoyed enormous success and became quite wealthy. The brothers who owned House of the Vettii, one of the biggest and most magnificent houses in Pompeii, are thought to have been freedmen. A freedman who became rich and influential might still be looked down on by the traditional aristocracy as a vulgar *nouveau riche*. Trimalchio, a character in the *Satyricon* of Petronius, is a caricature of such a freedman.

## Known Freedmen

### Only in the SPQRverse

* Ucceius
* Trius
* Gounnix
* Titus Ippius Auma

### Historical

* *Marcus Tullius Tiro*
* *Gnaeus Pompeius Menas*
* Alexander Polyhistor
* Marcus Antonius Gnipho
* Caecilius Statius
* Spurius Carvilius Ruga
* Lucius Cornelius Chrysogonus
* Cornelius Epicadus
* Eucharis (actress)
* Flaccus (composer)
* Gnaeus Flavius
* Gaius Ummidius Actius Anicetus
* Quintus Roscius Gallus
* *Menecrates of Tralles*, also named *"Lucius Manneus"*, former slave of *Quintus Manneus*.
* Publilius Syrus
* Terence
* *Palonia Salonia*, a Verna, born to Salonius, former slave and second wife of Cato the Elder.
* *Publius Terentius Afer*, also known as Terence, former slave of senator *Terentius Lucanus*.

#### Unnamed *Patronus*

* *Clodius Aesopus*
* *Acilius Sthenelus*
* *Chelidon*
* *Accia C. l.*, from Rome
* *Gaius Accius C. l*, from Mevania
* *Accius C. l. Antiochus*, from Rome
* *Tiberius Acutius Ti. l. Adauctus*, a soldier stationed at Pompeii
* *Publius Accius P. l. Athictus*, a freedman from Aquileia.
* *Accia Horrea*, from Aquileia. Wife of Athictus
* *Gaius Accius C. M. l. Dio*, from Reate
* *Numerius Accius N. l. Philonicus*, from Campodipietra.
* *Accia Valentina*, from Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. Wife of Marcus Accius.
* *Quintus Accoleius Q. l. A*, a freedman buried at Aricia.
* *Lucius Acculeius L. l. Salvius*, from Rome
* *Acutia Irene*, from Rome
* *Acutia C. l. Eloge*, from Brixia
* *Publius Acculeius Apolaustus*, from Acelum
* *Acculeia Zosime*, from Acelum
* *Lucius Acutius L. l. Dasius*, from Fundi in Latium
* *Marcus Acutius M. l. Eutychus*, from Rome
* *Publius Acutius P. l. Pamphilus*, from Suasa
* *Acutia Auga*, former slave of *Lucius Titurius Sura*.
* *Quintus Acutius Q. l. Agilio*, from Ateste.
* *Acutia C. l. Lyris*, from Ateste.
* Publia Ancharia Soteris, from Bithynia
* *Acutia L. l. Blanda*, from Altinum.
* *Marcus Acutius M. l. Noetus*, from Concordia Sagittaria
* *Quintus Acutius Q. l. Diomedes*, from Altinum.
* *Lucius Acutius L. l. Quadratus*, from Altinum.
* *Lucius Aebutius Faustus*
* *Lucius Afranius L. l. Eros*
* *Lucius Afranius L. l. Buccio*, from Rome
* *Lucius Afranius Ipocrates*
* The Seviri of Corfinium
	+ *Titus Accius T. l. Cerealis*, from Corfinium
	+ *Titus Accius T. l. Paelinus*, from Corfinium
	+ *Accia T. l. Thabis*, from Corfinium. Wife of Paelinus
	+ *Titus Accius T. l. Simplicius*, from Corfinium
	+ *Accia Nais*, from Corfinium.
	+ Titus Accius T. l. Vitalis, a freedman, and one of the seviri at Corfinium.