Legal Definitions - a manu servus

The Latin term a manu servus refers to an individual who performs tasks primarily by hand, often involving writing, copying, or other detailed manual work, acting as an assistant or servant to another. It literally translates to "servant by hand." This term historically described someone whose duties centered around manual execution, particularly in administrative or secretarial capacities before the advent of modern technology.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of an a manu servus:

• Imagine a wealthy Roman senator in ancient times who needed to send numerous letters and official decrees. He would employ a dedicated assistant whose sole job was to meticulously write out these documents by hand, ensuring accuracy and proper formatting. This assistant would be an a manu servus because their essential function was the manual production of written communications, directly serving the senator's administrative needs.

• Consider a prominent legal scholar in a European university during the 15th century, before the widespread use of printing presses. This scholar would often have an apprentice or assistant whose primary duty was to painstakingly copy important legal texts, lecture notes, and research findings by hand onto parchment. This individual acted as an a manu servus, as their role was to manually reproduce and preserve critical documents for the scholar's work and the university's library.

• Picture a busy merchant in a bustling 18th-century port city. This merchant would hire a clerk to manage all the company's records. This clerk's daily tasks would include manually recording every transaction in ledgers, drafting invoices and bills of lading with a quill and ink, and preparing detailed inventory lists, all done by hand. This clerk would be an a manu servus, as their administrative support was entirely dependent on their manual writing and record-keeping skills.