Legal Definitions - addicere

Addicere refers to a formal act in ancient Roman law where a legal authority would make a definitive pronouncement or assignment. This term encompassed the actions of formally declaring a judgment, allocating property or rights, or imposing a penalty or condemnation.

• Imagine a Roman magistrate presiding over a dispute between two citizens regarding a boundary line between their farms. After hearing arguments and evidence, the magistrate would formally addicere the disputed strip of land to one of the parties, thereby adjudging who rightfully owned it.

  This illustrates addicere as the act of formally adjudging and allotting property rights to a specific individual after a legal determination.

• Consider a situation where a Roman citizen was found guilty of a serious crime, such as treason. A Roman court might addicere the individual to exile or even to death, formally condemning them to a specific punishment as a consequence of their actions.

  Here, addicere signifies the formal condemnation and imposition of a severe penalty by a legal authority.

• In cases of unpaid debt in early Roman law, if a debtor failed to meet their obligations, a creditor could petition a magistrate. The magistrate might then addicere the debtor's person or assets to the creditor, allowing the creditor to take possession of the debtor or their property to satisfy the debt.

  This example shows addicere as the formal act of allotting or condemning a debtor's person or property to a creditor to settle a financial obligation.