| Keywords |
|
| ID |
5409 |
| Text |
[II] Ratchis Leges p. chr. 746 (746 - 746) Ratchis |
| Quotation |
Si quiscumque Langobardis qualecumque hominem servum aut haldionem suum facere voluerit et ipse ad palatio venerit proclamandum et iussionem regis acceptam ei deportaverit ut aut ipse iudicit aut veniat in presentia regis vel de iudices cum ipso iudicium habendum… |
| Translation |
If any Lombard wishes to make a man his slave or aldius and he comes to the king's court and makes this known, he may take the man away with him provided he has received permission from either the king himself or one of the justices who have jurisdiction at the king's court…
(Emended from K. Fischer-Drew, trans., The Lombard Laws (1973), p. 220) |
| Summary |
Ratchis, No. 7 begins by emending the legal procedure for enslaving a free man to state that this must only be done in the royal court with the approval of either the king or one of the judges based there. The law then continues to establish composition for the situation when this is not done, and for the payment of composition should they then injure or kill that person. The law then expands focus to consider violence against already-enslaved and half-free people by their lord, stating that the lord should lose ownership of the person, their property and children. If a freeman kills his own enslaved or half-free person, then in addition to losing their children and property, he must also pay composition equal to the victim’s widrigild [wergild] to the palace. |
| Quotation source |
MGH, LL 4, 1868 (F. Bluhme), p. 188 |
| Temporal Coverage |
746 - 746 |
| Associated use case(s) |
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| Comment |
The Ratchis Leges (II) form part of the Leges Ratchis [Text, ID:1116] and in turn are part of the collected Edictus Langobardorum [Text, ID:984]. |
