Legal Definitions - libellus supplex

A libellus supplex was a formal written petition or request submitted under ancient Roman law, most commonly addressed directly to the emperor. These documents served as a crucial means for individuals, groups, or even provincial officials to seek imperial intervention, express grievances, request specific legal rulings, or ask for special favors and dispensations from the highest authority in the Roman Empire.

Here are some examples illustrating the application of a libellus supplex:

• Imagine a Roman citizen, Lucius, who believes he has been unjustly disinherited due to a technicality in a will. After exhausting local legal avenues, he drafts a detailed libellus supplex to Emperor Marcus Aurelius. In this petition, Lucius meticulously outlines the facts of his case, cites relevant legal precedents, and humbly requests the emperor to review the matter and issue a definitive ruling that would ensure a fair interpretation of the inheritance laws in his specific situation.

  This illustrates a libellus supplex as a direct appeal to the emperor for a legal judgment, seeking to resolve a complex personal legal dispute that local courts could not adequately address.

• Consider a Roman legionary, Valeria, whose family farm in a distant province is facing confiscation by a corrupt local official under false pretenses. Valeria, unable to leave her military post, writes a heartfelt libellus supplex to Emperor Septimius Severus. In her petition, she describes the injustice, provides evidence of her family's rightful ownership, and pleads for imperial intervention to protect her family's property and punish the corrupt official.

  Here, the libellus supplex functions as a personal plea for justice and protection from imperial authority against abuses by lower-ranking officials, highlighting the emperor's role as the ultimate arbiter.

• A provincial governor, Gaius, discovers that a major bridge vital for trade and military movement in his province is structurally unsound and on the verge of collapse. The cost of repair is far beyond his provincial budget. Gaius prepares a comprehensive libellus supplex for Emperor Trajan, detailing the bridge's strategic importance, the extent of the damage, the estimated repair costs, and a formal request for imperial funding and engineering expertise to undertake the urgent reconstruction project.

  This example demonstrates a libellus supplex as a formal administrative request from a high-ranking official to the emperor, seeking approval and resources for a significant public works project that impacts the well-being and security of a Roman province.