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Simple English definitions for legal terms
manumission
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A quick definition of manumission:
Manumission is the act of granting freedom to a slave. In ancient Rome, there were three ways to do this: (1) by pretending to sue the slave in court and then declaring them free, (2) by adding the slave's name to the census as a citizen, or (3) by including a clause in a will that frees the slave. Once freed, the former slave became a citizen and had certain obligations to their former master, such as providing support and respect. Manumission was like being born again, and the former master became like a father to the freed person.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Manumission is the act of granting freedom to a slave. In Roman law, there were three common ways to manumit a slave: manumission vindicta, manumission censu, and manumission testamento. Under Justinian, any form of manumission made the slave a citizen.
Examples:
- Manumission vindicta: A third party would place a rod on the slave while claiming that the slave was a freedman. The master would then admit the slave's freedom, and the praetor would declare the slave to be free.
- Manumission censu: The slave would profess to be a freeman in the presence of the master, and the censor would enter the slave's name on the census roll. The slave would then become a freeman and a citizen.
- Manumission testamento: The master would either grant the slave freedom outright in their will or impose on an heir the obligation of freeing the slave. In the latter case, the slave would become the freedman of the heir.
These examples illustrate the different methods of manumission in Roman law. Each method had its own requirements and procedures, but all resulted in the slave being granted freedom and citizenship.