Legal Definitions - conductus

In ancient Roman law, a conductus referred to the person or thing that was hired or leased by another party, known as the conductor. Essentially, the conductus was the object of a hiring agreement, meaning it was the individual or item whose services or use were procured for a fee.

• Example 1: Hired Laborer

  Imagine a Roman farmer who needs additional workers to help with the grape harvest on his vineyard. He enters into an agreement to pay a free laborer for their work over several weeks.

  In this scenario, the conductus would be the laborer, as they are the person whose services are being hired by the farmer.

• Example 2: Leased Animal

  Consider a merchant who needs to transport a large quantity of goods from a port city to an inland market. He arranges to lease a sturdy pack mule for the journey to carry his cargo.

  Here, the conductus would be the pack mule, as it is the 'thing' (an animal) being hired for its utility and use in transportation.

• Example 3: Rented Property

  Suppose a Roman citizen living in a crowded city decides to rent out a small room or apartment (an insula unit) he owns to another individual for a year in exchange for regular payments.

  In this instance, the conductus would be the apartment unit itself, as it is the property being leased or hired for the tenant's temporary use.