Legal Definitions - dediticii

In ancient Roman law, dediticii referred to a specific class of individuals who, though considered free, held the lowest possible social status and were permanently barred from becoming Roman citizens. This group primarily included two types of people:

• Enemies from conquered territories who had surrendered to Rome and were granted personal freedom instead of enslavement, but without the rights of citizens.
• Former slaves who, prior to being freed (a process known as manumission), had committed serious offenses, been subjected to harsh punishments like branding, or had been imprisoned by their owners. Under a specific law called the Lex Aelia Sentia, these individuals, upon manumission, were placed into the dediticii class.

Individuals classified as dediticii faced significant restrictions. They could never achieve Roman citizenship, their legal rights were severely limited (for instance, they generally could not make a will or inherit property), and those who were formerly slaves were even prohibited from living within 100 miles of the city of Rome. Their status was fixed and could not be improved, making it a permanent condition of their freedom.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of dediticii:

• Example 1: Conquered People

  Imagine a small, independent kingdom that fiercely resisted Roman expansion. After a decisive Roman victory, the king and his remaining warriors surrender. Instead of being enslaved or executed, the Romans, as a gesture of pragmatic mercy, grant them personal freedom. However, they are explicitly designated as dediticii. This means they are no longer prisoners, but they are also not Roman citizens. They cannot vote, hold office, or benefit from the full protections and privileges of Roman law, and their descendants would inherit this non-citizen status, forever remaining distinct from the Roman populace.

  This example illustrates the category of conquered enemies who, despite being granted freedom after surrender, were permanently denied Roman citizenship and its associated rights, reflecting their status as "those who have surrendered."

• Example 2: Manumitted Slave with Prior Punishment

  Consider a Roman slave named Claudia who, years before her master decided to free her, was caught attempting to poison another slave out of jealousy. As punishment, her master had her publicly branded on the shoulder. When her master eventually grants her manumission, the Lex Aelia Sentia dictates that because of her prior branding, Claudia cannot become a Roman citizen. Instead, she is classified as a dediticia. She gains her personal freedom but is permanently barred from full participation in Roman society, cannot inherit property, and must relocate to live beyond a 100-mile radius of Rome, never to return.

  This example demonstrates how a freed slave, due to a severe past punishment, would be relegated to the dediticii class, permanently denied citizenship and facing geographical restrictions, even after gaining personal freedom.